


Big Brother

by tealpaperclip27



Series: Before [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-23
Updated: 2014-04-25
Packaged: 2018-01-09 18:56:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 45,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1149597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tealpaperclip27/pseuds/tealpaperclip27
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the story of Dean becoming a big brother. From his parents telling him that he will soon become a big brother and the next few months that follow.</p><p>--<br/>“How would you feel about having a little brother or sister?” Mary asked carefully.</p><p>“I would not like that one bit,” Dean answered seriously shaking his head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Whatcha doin’?” Dean asked bouncing on the balls of his feet in the doorway of a room that had been an extra bedroom for his whole life, but now for, some reason, his dad was emptying it.

“Nothing, kiddo,” John answered. “I’ll explain later.”

“Can I help?” Dean asked. “I’m a good helper.”

“I don’t think so,” John answered. “Why don’t you go see what your mom’s doing? Maybe she could use some help.”

“She’s reading her book,” Dean replied. “It’s a grown up book. She told me to go play. So I go-ed upstairs to help. Why are you movin’ all the stuff? Where are the people gonna sleep when they visit?”

“Don’t worry about it, Dean,” John dismissed. “Just go play with your Batman or whatever.”

“But I want to help,” Dean whined. “I’m almost four Daddy, that’s basically a grown up.”

“No it’s not,” John chuckled. “You’re not a grown up ‘til you can’t use your fingers to count your age.”

“Oh,” Dean said, bouncing on his feet. “Well, I’m still getting big. I can help. I can move little things.”

“Yeah, sure fine,” John conceded. “Come here.”

Dean squealed excitedly and ran over. “What can I do?”

“Can you move that footstool?” John asked pointing at the piece of furniture. Dean nodded. “Push that into Mom and Dad’s room.”

Dean nodded and took to the task. The stool was almost as high as he was and hard to push across the carpet, but he did his very best. He pushed it out into the hallway and to the next room over, leaving it at the end of his parents’ bed, like it used to be in the guest room. He sprinted back to see what he got to do next. He walked up to his dad and stood next to him, hands clasped behind his back just like his dads were.

“I’m gonna have to pound in some nails,” John sighed.

“I gotta hammer!” Dean exclaimed, rushing out of the room across the hall to return a few seconds later with a tool belt he’d gotten for Christmas two weeks earlier. “I can help real good now.”

“Yeah okay,” John shook his head grabbing a real hammer out of his tool box.

“I need you to buckle this,” Dean instructed, holding the tool belt up. “I don’t know how.”

“Alright,” John smiled kneeling down. “If you’re gonna help, you can’t get in the way when I’m swinging the big hammer. Okay? You stay by the window and work on that board. I’ll do this one.”

Dean nodded with whole body and gave a thumb's up. “No more stitches.”

“Exactly,” John ruffled Dean’s hair a pointed over to the window.

 

Mary was starting to think she needed to carry a disposable camera with her at all times, there was something so adorable about the way Dean tried to do everything John did. Dean following in John’s shadow carrying a plastic hammer from his tool set while John carried a real one was one of the cutest things Mary had ever seen. She was overjoyed that John had given in and let him help. She knew how often Dean helping was actually him being in the way, but it was nice to see her husband putting in the effort. She leaned against the doorframe watching.

“You boys working up working up an appetite?” Mary asked.

Dean spun around nodding.

“I got some sandwiches downstairs waiting.”

“Cut in a triangle?” Dean asked, wiping his forehead with his arm like he was sweating, the same way John did.

“Of course,” Mary smiled.

Dean pushed his way passed his mother and thundered down the stairs.

“You’d think he’d never eaten before,” John chuckled.

“Growin’ boy,” Mary smiled. “You explain what he’s building up here?”

“No,” John shook his head as he walked over to her and pressed his hand against her belly. “All he knows is he’s making a shelf. Well, banging a plastic hammer on a two by four while I build a shelf, but he thinks he’s helping.”

“I think we should tell him,” Mary said. “Before he asks me if I’m getting fat.”

“He wouldn’t do that,” John replied.

“Yeah well,” Mary shrugged. “We should tell him.”

“Right now?” John asked.

“Yeah,” Mary nodded. “The book said to tell them around now. I mean, I was just reading the big sibling chapters, and it’s good to get them involved early. So, you know, since he’s already helping, I figured he might as well know what he’s helping with.”

“Whatever you want,” John nodded. “I was thinking that we just didn’t tell him until we brought it home. Surprise him. Just show up with a baby one day. That way he can’t throw a temper tantrum about it.”

“You’re an idiot,” Mary laughed shaking his head.

“Your idiot,” John smiled kissing her forehead.

“Momma!” a loud voice called from downstairs. “I can’t reach it.”

“Just a second, Baby,” Mary called back. “I’ll be right there.”

 

Mary sat across the table from Dean, wondering how the hell someone could end up with peanut butter in their hair while eating a sandwich. It was a wonder any of it ended up in his stomach, but on the other hand, that would explain why he was hungry all the time.

Dean’s eyes flicked between his parents. He could tell something was up; they were looking at him funny.

“Am I in trouble?” Dean asked, licking peanut butter off corner of his mouth.

“No,” Mary smiled.

“Then why are you looking at me like that?” Dean scrunched his face up in concentration. “That’s the Dean’s in big trouble look.” 

“Me and Daddy gotta talk to you about something real important,” Mary said.

“Okay,” Dean nodded.

“How would you feel about having a little brother or sister?” Mary asked carefully.

“I would not like that one bit,” Dean answered seriously shaking his head.

“Why?” Mary asked unable to hide concern from her expression.

“Cuz,” Dean shrugged. “Well, Jamie ‘cross the street has a brother, and he steals all his toys. And one time he eated them. I saw it. He just put a car right in his mouth. And then he had to go to the doctor and get it amoved. I do not need that. And I do not like girls, they are mean. And sisters are usually girls.”

“Alright,” John sighed. “This is gonna be fun.” 

“Dean,” Mary said sweetly. “What if we, me and Daddy, told you that we were going to have a baby?”

“I would say, ‘No thanks,’” Dean smiled, eating the rest of sandwich. “I don’t need a sister or brother. I’m all good by myself.”

“Dean,” Mary cleared her throat and switched seats so she was sitting next to him. She picked up a napkin, licked it and started to scrub the peanut butter off his face. “At the end of April, Daddy and I are going to bring home a new baby, a brother or sister. That’s what Daddy been doing in the guest room. He’s making a room for the baby.”

Dean sighed and shrugged. “Can I help pick it out?” he asked.

“What?” Mary chuckled.

“The brother or sister,” Dean clarified. “Can I help pick them out when you go get it?”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Mary stammered.

“Mom and I already picked it out,” John jumped it. “We got the pieces for Christmas, like your train set. We just gotta wait for it to be ready.”

“What?” Dean looked between his parents confused. “I don’t understand.”

“We already picked out the baby,” John tried. “It just has to grow.”

“How come you didn’t ask me to help?” Dean asked. “Now what if my brother or sister is a mean face? Or a toy eater? What if it’s a girl? I’m very good at helping. I can help pick it out.”

“Dean,” Mary sighed. “Picking out a baby is something only Mommies and Daddies can do, not kids. But you get to help us get ready for the baby. You can help paint, and build things and pick out decorations for the room.”

“Do I have to have a brother or sister?” Dean pouted. “Cuz I don’t think I want one. I like have you to myself. I don’t want to share. What if the brother or sister doesn’t like me? What if you like it more than me? What is the new one says ‘I don’t like Dean’ and cuz you like them more than me send me away? I don’t wanna go away! I like it here.”

“Baby,” Mary took Dean’s cheeks in her hands. “We would never send you away. And the new baby will love you, because you’ll be the big brother. And you can teach the new baby all sorts of stuff.”

“I don’t know,” Dean mumbled. “You shoulda asked me first.”

“We’re asking you now,” John nodded.

“Well, I said no,” Dean pouted. “And you said too bad. That’s not fair.”

“Sweetheart,” Mary kissed him on the forehead. “Me and Daddy are going to make sure that the new baby likes you and you’ll get to help us get ready. Get the room ready and help pick out stuff for the room and all sorts of stuff.”

“I don’t like this,” Dean sighed. “But this is like when you ask me if I want to the doctor and I say no, and you say I hafta go anyway, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” John said firmly. “It’s just like that.”

“Okay,” Dean looked down at his empty plate sadly. “I guess I will be nice to it. As long as you don’t make it sleep in my bed. I do not want it to have my bed. Or my Batmans. It gets its own Batmans.”

“Okay,” Mary smiled. “We can work with that.”

“Can I see it?” Dean asked.

“The baby?” Mary asked.

Dean nodded enthusiastically. “I want to see it.”

“Umm,” Mary shook her head and locked eyes with her husband, who was leaning back in his chair with a smirk on his face. “Well, sweetheart, the new baby’s not here yet. It won’t be here until after Easter.”

“Then what is all talk about?” Dean demanded. “Maybe it will change its mind and not come. Then this will all be silly.”

“Dean,” John said leaning forward. “You remember how you told me you were a grown up now?”

“Yeah you said I wasn’t a grown up til I can’t count on my fingers no more,” Dean answered.

“Well,” John’s eyes flicked to Mary. “If you’re a big brother, then you’ll be kind of like a grown up.”

Dean’s eyes widened a little bit. “So I can help more? And I can do grown up things, like play on the swing set by myself?”

“Yeah,” John nodded. “Grown up stuff like that.”

“John,” Mary said shaking her head. “Let’s not go crazy.”

“Trust me,” John insured her. “I think I got this.”

“If I’m a big brother,” Dean pressed. “Can I walk at the grocery store instead of riding in the cart like a baby?”

“If you don’t run off and hold onto the side of the cart,” John nodded. “And don’t wander off away from your mom.”

“Okay,” Dean nodded. “I’m not sure if I like this yet, but if I get to be little bit of a grown up, I’ll try.”

“That’s all we really want, buddy,” John smiled. “We’ll all try it out together. You think you’re up to helping me get the new room ready? We got a lot of work to do in there.”

Dean nodded. “I’m doing really good at my shelf.”

“When you’re done with that,” Mary smiled. “Maybe you can help me paint, pick out colors and stuff.”

“No girl colors,” Dean said seriously.

“No girl colors,” Mary agreed.

“But when can I meet it?” Dean asked. “Daddy said it had to grow.”

“Right now, Dean,” Mary paused trying to think about how she was going to word this. “Right now the baby’s in here.” She placed her hand on her stomach. “That’s where babies grow.”

Dean shook his head.

“Yeah,” Mary smiled. “If you want to, maybe a little later you can talk to it. I’m gonna go to the doctor next week, and they’re going to take a picture of the baby, so you can see it then.”

“This is really weird,” Dean sighed.

“I know sweetie,” Mary chuckled. “But we’ll get through it together, me, you, and daddy. Sound good?”

Dean nodded. He wasn’t sure if he was going to like this baby thing, but he’d try. It seemed like something his mom really wanted. And if there was anything Dean wanted, it was for his mom to be happy.


	2. Chapter 2

Mary sat with Dean on the couch after dinner the night of her doctor’s appointment looking at the sonogram picture to wind Dean down for the end of the day.

“How did they doctor see inside you?” Dean asked. “Did you get to wear x-ray glasses?”

“No,” Mary laughed. “The doctor puts this clear gooey stuff on my belly and uses a wand thing to make the baby show up on a screen.”

“It would be easier with x-ray glasses,” Dean replied. “It seems silly to use magic.”

“Right,” Mary laughed. “It does seem a little silly now that you say that.”

“I’m very smart, Momma,” Dean explained. “I know lots of things. Are those the baby’s feet?”

“Yeah,” Mary smiled. “There’s one foot and the other foot is right there. There’s a little hand. Looks like they baby’s waving to ya, doesn’t it?”

“Kinda I guess,” Dean replied. “Was I ever in a belly?” Dean asked as he poked as his mom.

“Yeah,” Mary smiled. “You were in there once.”

“In your belly?” Dean questioned wide eyed.

“Yep,” Mary answered. “You lived in there. Everybody was in a belly once. Even me and Dad. I think I got some pictures somewhere of when Daddy was still in Nana's belly. I know I got pictures of when you were living in my belly.”

“I would like to see them,” Dean decided. “Cuz I kinda don’t believe you. That sounds like something you maked up.”

“Let me up, kiddo,” Mary said. “I’ll go get them.”

Dean sat on the couch kicking his feet back and forth while he waited for his mom to come back from upstairs. All this baby business was a little bit overwhelming. It was hard enough to believe that one baby was inside a mom, but every baby ever was hard to wrap his head around. Mary came down with three different photo albums and placed them on the coffee table. Dean slid down to his knees and looked up at her as she opened the first book.

“That’s me and you,” Mary said pointing a picture of her a blue dress very pregnant, modeling for her husband behind the camera. “This was about three weeks before you were born. We were living in the other house. Do you remember the other house?”

“I had a green room,” Dean nodded. “I was really, really little when we didn’t live there anymore.”

“Yeah, you were about two and half,” Mary smiled. “Right after you did a header down the stairs and cut your head open.”

“I was sledding,” Dean said. “Daddy said it was okay. But then he got real mad cutted my head and I got brain juice on the carpet.”

Mary ran her hand over Dean’s head, messing around with his hair, but also running her fingers along the scar that went from his hairline to his eyebrow; something that could have been easily avoided if her husband could have kept a watchful eye on their son for an hour while she got her hair done.

“Are you gonna be that big again?” Dean asked innocently pointing at Mary’s belly in the photo. “You look like you got a watermelon in your shirt,”

“Yeah,” Mary chuckled. “Probably. Maybe even bigger.”

“Wow,” Dean replied, eyes wide. “And I fit in there?”

“You were a little bit smaller than you are now,” Mary chuckled flipping to the next page. “That’s you when were born. Me and you.”

“Is that me as a baby?”

“Yes,” Mary smiled looking at the pictures from right after Dean was born in the hospital. “That’s right after you were born. I think you’re maybe an hour old.”

“Wow,” Dean whispered. “I’m pretty weird looking. Are all babies so weird looking? Is the new baby gonna be weird looking?”

“All babies are very weird looking,” Mary confirmed. “I’m sure the new baby will be weird looking too.”

“I look like an alien,” Dean laughed. “I’m happy I don’t look like that no more. Now I’m cute. You look tired.”

“Yeah, having a baby is pretty tiring,” Mary nodded. “It’s pretty hard. But you were worth it. Might not be the prettiest picture but I’m glad I have it.”

“You look pretty,” Dean said looking up at her. “You always look pretty.”

Dean flipped through the pages pretty quickly. This particular album was the tail end of the pregnancy and the first couple of days of Dean’s life. They’d gotten a little picture happy, but Mary cherished every last one of those pictures.

“When to I start getting cute?” Dean asked. “I still look like an alien. Nana said that I was always cute, but I think she lied to me.”

“I always thought you were cute,” Mary smiled. “But you started to look more like you do now when you were a couple months old. “Let’s take a look at this one.”

Mary laughed and opened the next album; her mother’s.

“Who’s that? Is that you?” Dean asked.

“No, that’s my mom,” Mary answered. “That’s when she was getting married, a long time ago before I was even born.”

“She’s pretty like you,” Dean said flipping the pages, through other wedding photos. “Is that grandpa?”

“Yeah,” Mary replied sadness evident in her voice. She grabbed the third book and thumbed through it for the pictures she wanted to show her son. “This was before I was born, when they bought the house in Lawrence. I think the next page has me in her belly.”

Dean turned the page eagerly. “Oh wow, that’s you in there? I didn’t think you would fit”

“I was littler that you way back then,” Mary smiled, and then pointed to a picture on the next page, a black and white photo of her in big dress. “And that’s my baby picture.”

“You were really little too,” Dean announced. “I didn’t believe you. It’s very hard to believe Momma.”

Mary flipped ahead a couple pages to a picture of her in front of a Christmas tree in a tutu. “That’s me when I was four, just like you.”

Dean continued to flip through the pages, watching as his mom grew up in pictures mesmerized. Mary stopped him every now and again to tell him the memory attached: first day of school, first time her Daddy taught her how to shoot, dance recitals, school plays. He stopped a picture toward the end of the book of Mary standing in front a familiar car.

“That’s Daddy’s car!” Dean pointed. “Is that the car when it was a baby?”

“Yeah,” Mary chuckled. “That’s the car when it was a baby. Right after your daddy bought it. That’s Daddy right there. The day we moved in together. Then the other book starts, the one with you in it. This one is Daddy and Nana.”

“Whoa,” Dean stared at the picture wide eyed at a picture of a woman he’d only ever known as a small white haired lady that came to visit a few times a year. “That’s Nana? She’s not old! Who’s that man?”

“That’s your dad’s dad, Henry,” Mary explained, hoping Dean wouldn’t ask too many questions, she wasn’t exactly sure how to answer them. It wasn’t her story to tell.

“I thought his name was Grandpa Mike?” Dean questioned.

“No sweetie,” Mary corrected. “It’s complicated. Dad will explain it when you’re bigger. I think we got enough mind blowing material for one day.”

“Okay,” Dean nodded as he flipped pages. “Is that Daddy?”

Dean pointed a picture of John in a baptismal gown.

“Yes, it is,” Mary answered.

“Why is Daddy wearing a dress?”

“Because Nana put him one,” Mary nodded figuring that explaining baptism to a four year old would lead to more questions than necessary this late at night.

“That’s Nana getting married?” Dean asked, when Mary flipped to the next section she’d marked. “She’s wearing a dress like your mom it first one when she looked like you.”

“Yeah,” Mary nodded. “That’s Daddy, he’s thirteen I think.”

“That’s Daddy as an Army Man?” Dean said pointing to John’s enlistment photo.

“He’s a marine,” Mary corrected. “It’s like an army man, but better. That’s what your daddy would say anyway.”

“He fighted?” Dean asked.

“Yeah,” Mary nodded. “He got to go to the other side of the world.”

“Really!?” Dean asked astounded. “He seed the ocean?”

“Yep,” Mary nodded. “Right after he got done with school, when we were first starting dating. Maybe someday he’ll tell you about it. He doesn’t really like to talk about it very much.”

“If I seed the ocean I’d tell everyone,” Dean nodded. “I gonna see it someday when I’m big like daddy. Can I take the baby?”

“I don’t see why not,” Mary smiled. “Maybe me and you and daddy and the baby will drive down to Texas and spend some time at the beach when you two are a little bit bigger.”

“I can make my own picture album!” Dean smiled. “With new pictures! You can help, cuz you know how to do it.”

“I would like that,” Mary replied. She pushed herself up off the sofa to straighten to coffee table.

“I gotta another question,” Dean said as he pushed himself back up onto the sofa from the floor.

“What is it, kiddo,” Mary replied sitting back down next to him with her copy of What to Expect.

“When does the sister get a name?” Dean asked. “When does it pick its name?”

“Dad and I haven’t picked any names out yet,” Mary confused.

“You have to pick it?” Dean questioned. “The baby doesn’t just get its name?”

“No,” Mary chuckled. “Dad and I get to decide what its name is. Like how you named your teddy bear.”

“His name is Bear,” Dean said softly. “You’re not gonna name the baby Baby are you? Jamie will make fun of me if I gots a sister named Baby. And that’s what Daddy calls the car. The sister can’t have the same name as the car. That’s just silly.”

“Yes it is,” Mary agreed. “Baby is definitely not on the short list.”

“Can I help name the sister?” Dean asked drawing little patterns across Mary’s shirt. “Maybe a little?”

“We don’t really know if it’s a sister,” Mary replied. “It could be a brother.”

“I don’t want a brother,” Dean said with certainty. “I decided.”

“I thought you only wanted a brother,” Mary questioned. “I thought girls were gross.”

“Brothers will take my toys, but sisters have different toys,” Dean explained using the best logic the little four year old could come up with. “And I can make her not mean. You’re a girl and you’re not mean. Maybe if it was my sister, I would like the tea parties, because um… she wouldn’t make me have them with her. She would just have them and I could go to them if I wanted but would not have to. And I don’t think sisters have cooties, just like you don’t have cooties. I think a sister would be good.”

“Okay,” Mary nodded. “What do you want to name the baby, Dean?”

“Cordelia,” Dean replied. “That’s a good name for a sister.”

“Where on Earth did you hear that?” Mary laughed.

“I don’t know,” Dean shrugged. “I think it’s a good name. I’ll asked the belly what it thinks its name should be and that’s what the belly said. The belly wants to be named that.”

“Right,” Mary smiled. “Have you and the belly talked about what you would name a little brother?”

“No,” Dean shook his head. “One second.” He leaned in real close to Mary’s belly button and whispered into it. He then placed his ear against her stomach then looked up at his mother. “If it’s a brother, we decided it should be named it Batman,” Dean said seriously.

“Of course,” Mary chuckled. “I don’t even know why I asked.”

“That belly picked it,” Dean smiled.

“Of course it did,” Mary chuckled.

“You picked my name?” Dean yawned.

“Yeah,” Mary answered running her finger through his hair again. “I named you after my mom. I promised her that one day I’d name one of my babies after her, and you came first.”

“Her name is Dean?”

“No, it was Deanna,” Mary explained. “I shorted it and made it boy name for you.”

“And my middle is Michael, like Grandpa Mike!” Dean exclaimed.

“That’s right, sweetie,” Mary smiled. “Me and Daddy are still trying to find something that’s meaningful that we wanna name the new baby.”

“You can’t name a brother after Daddy’s mom,” Dean said seriously. “Gertrude is a bad name for a brother. Batman is much better.”

“I agree,” Mary nodded. “Batman is a much better name for a boy than Gertrude.”

“I like helping with the baby,” Dean nodded. “We’ll be good friends I think.”

“I hope so,” Mary smiled. “That’s what I want.”

“You getted a baby so I’ll have a friend?” Dean asked.

“No,” Mary replied. “But that was part of it. Both Daddy and I don’t have brothers or sisters. We decided that we wanted you to have some. Sometimes it can be really lonely growing up all by yourself. I think you’ll like it.”

“Just one,” Dean yawned. “We don’t need no more. Just me and Cordelia, that’s good enough.”

“We’ll keep that in mind,” Mary replied. “We’ll see how it goes after we have this baby. You think you’re ready for bed time, Big Guy?”

“Yeah, Momma,” Dean nodded. “I think I’m ready for a story and bed time.”

“When you’re a big brother, are you gonna read to you brother or sister?” Mary asked as she picked the toddler up off the couch.

“I don’t know how to read,” Dean yawned as they climbed the stairs. “I would if I knowed how to read. But I can tuck them in real good. Like Daddy tucks me in. I would be good at that. Maybe I can maked up a story to tell them.”

Mary placed Dean down on his bed and kissed him on the forehead. She grabbed his current favorite book, a Dr. Seuss classic and read until he fell asleep. She tucked his teddy bear under his arm and turned to shut off the light.

"Momma," Dean asked quietly as Mary turned off the light on her way out the door. "How many slugs would I have to eat to become a slug?"

"What?" Mary chuckled turning around.

"You sayed 'If you keep eating chicken nuggets, you’ll become a chicken nugget.’ So I eated slugs."

"Don't eat slugs, Dean, that's not good for you."

"I want to be a boy sized slug!" Dean protested. “If I’m a boy sized slug I can be the king slug.”

"As cool as that sounds," Mary smiled. "Slugs are gross and you shouldn't eat them. They are very dirty."

"One time I eated seven slugs," Dean told her. "But I didn't turn into a slug." 

“That’s not how it really works, sweetheart,” Mary laughed. “Don’t eat bugs.”

“But you said,” Dean said confused.

“It’s just an expression,” Mary tried to explain. “It doesn’t really mean what it says.”

“Then why did you say it?” Dean asked. 

“I said that to get you to eat other things,” Mary replied. “It’s better for you to eat lots of different things not just chicken nuggets and, apparently, slugs. Go to sleep, Deano.”

“You forgot about the angels,” Dean mumbled half asleep.

“What angels?” Mary smiled from the doorway.

“The angels that watch over me,” Dean explained. “You forgot to tell me. How are they gonna know if you amind them?”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Mary whispered. “The angels are watching over you.”

“Goodnight, momma,” Dean yawned. “I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For whatever reason I always thought that Dean's middle name was Michael. I was actually confused when I found out that wasn't cannon. Also, I couldn't shake the plot whole from where the man in the Dinner in "In the Beginning" tells John to say hi to the old man, then Henry actually disappears when John was little. So I took creative licence there. I have a whole story for the step dad, parts of it will appear later.
> 
> If John's mom has an actually name, let me know, I looked but I couldn't find one. I have plans for her later in the story also.


	3. Chapter 3

The moment the door closed when John got home from work that night, Mary started talking. “We need to figure out how to tell Dean that there is no way on God’s green earth we are naming our child Batman.”

“Okay...” John chuckled, hanging up his coat and kicking off his shoes. “You really should have seen that one coming to be honesty Mary. I’m almost surprised he hasn’t started calling one of us Alfred.”

“If we find out it’s a boy, and we don’t name him Batman,” Mary sighed. “I just don’t want him to be disappointed. I want him to be excited about the baby. I just feel like if he thinks we’re ignoring his request to help name it he’ll get really upset.”

“I don’t know,” John smiled walked over to the couch pressing a kiss into his wife’s hair. “Bruce Wayne Winchester, that’s got quite a ring to it.”

“Don’t,” Mary said rolling her eyes. “I’m being serious here. You don’t need to be encouraging him. You’ll make the problem worse. He’s never going to take anything seriously if you don’t take anything seriously. He mimics everything you do. You have to know that.”

“I know.” John sat down and pulled Mary’s feet into his lap. “You know that hippie couple down the street? With that kid named Sunflower or whatever that’s Dean’s age?”

“Kelly and Patrick? Yeah, we have play dates, and their daughter’s name in Alexa Sunbeam. And they aren’t hippies. They’re just different.”

“They drive a Volkswagen and make their own clothes. They’re exactly the type of people who would be sticking daisies in the end of rifle,” John scoffed.

“I seem to recall a young man fresh from the war who was all for buying a VW Microbus,” Mary reminded him.

“That was your idea,” John corrected. “And fate intervened.”

“You love that car more than me,” Mary chuckled. 

“Anyway,” John coughed changing the subject. “The girl just found out they were pregnant, and they are going to let Sunflower name the kid.”

“Where did you hear that?” Mary sighed.

“The guy’s piece of shit foreign car needed all sorts of work done on it,” John shrugged. “Might as well get to know the neighbors; we started talkin’ he mentioned baby number two, I told him about you. He said he was letting Sunflower name the baby.”

“John,” Mary said seriously. “I love Dean, I do, I love him, with every ounce of my being but he’s not naming the baby. I know that it’s the eighties and everything’s changing, but I’m not introducing Batman Robin Winchester to other parents.”

“He’s gonna hear from Sunflower that she got to name her baby sibling at school someday and he’s going to be very upset.”

Mary looked at him as if she was trying to stab him with her eyes.

“Hippie guy said that Sunflower wants to name the baby Aurora,” John shrugged.

“Like Sleeping Beauty,” Mary chuckled. “That’s cute, Alexa and Aurora. I like traditional names better, but those are cute together.”

“We don’t want to name it something that six other kids in the class are going to be named, right?” John said. “You mentioned that when we were figuring out what to call Dean. Batman might be the way to go with this one. Especially now that we know they’ll be a Disney Princess in the group.”

“Stop having ideas or I won’t let you name the baby either,” Mary said seriously.

“Did he pick out a sister name,” John chuckled. “Or does he want to name his sister Batman too.”

“Cordelia,” Mary nodded. “Which is actually kind of nice.”

“Where the hell did he…” John shook his head.

“Is it a Princess in a book that you read to him?” Mary asked.

“No,” John replied. “I have no idea. Cute though.” 

“He said the baby told him that’s what it wanted to be named,” Mary continued. “Pressed his mouth up to my belly button and whispers to it, then puts his ear to it like the baby’s talking back. He also said he really wanted a sister. He’s being so cute lately. He’s gonna be a good big brother, I think. He really wants to help. Kept talking about putting the baby bed together with you soon.”

“I’ll do it soon,” John nodded. “What else you guys do today?”

“I also showed our son that everyone was in a belly once. Blew his little mind. He didn’t think Nana had ever been not old. Dean thinks babies look like aliens, but he’s very happy that he doesn’t look like an alien anymore. He said he’s very glad he’s cute now. He’s got his Daddy’s sense of himself that’s for sure.”

John chuckled. “If people spend your whole life telling you you’re cute, you’re gonna believe it eventually. With his genetics it’s not like he was going to end up getting hit with an ugly stick or nothing.”

“You’re unbelievable, Narcissus.” Mary laughed.

“He looks like you,” John smiled. “He looks just like you.”

“Nice save,” Mary rolled her eyes.

“I think we did good with that one.”

“You say that like we’re trading him in,” Mary replied.

“That’s not how it works?” John smirked. Mary smacked him in the chest. “He’s a good kid. I think he might be born to be a big brother.”

“I told Dean he was named after my mom,” Mary continued. “And he told me that we can’t name a brother after your mom.”

“Batman is a much better name for a brother than Gertrude.”

“That is, oddly enough, exactly what Dean said,” Mary smiled.

“I thought you’d want to name the baby after your dad?” John asked. “We’d have a Dean and a Sam.”

“Sam works for a girl too,” Mary said picking at her fingernails. “I don’t know though. I mean, I would love to, but…”

“Samuel John,” John said massaging her calf. “Or Samantha Jane?”

“I don’t like Jane,” Mary sighed.

“Samantha Batman?” John suggested.

“Yes!” Mary laughed. “Exactly, perfect name. We’ll figure it out. We got a couple of months.”

They sat in silence for a while watching the 11 o’clock news.

“Dean saw a picture of your father while we were looking at the photo albums today,” Mary said quietly. “So he might bring that up. So just think of a way to explain that to a little kid.”

“That should be nice and easy,” John sighed.

“Just remind him that you and I aren’t going anywhere,” Mary suggested. “We will always be there for him. That’s all you can do.”

“Yeah,” John nodded. “If I learned one thing from him, it’s not to up and leave without a care. You know, Dean’s about how old I was when he disappeared. I don’t think I could ever do that. I mean, I know I’m not the best, but I’ll be damned if I do to that kid what he did to me. Don’t get me wrong, Mike’s been great, but he’s not my dad. But that little boy upstairs, I don’t think I could live with myself know that I let him down.”

Mary thought it best to change the subject as she saw that faraway look in her husband’s eyes.

“I discovered that your son has a deep desire to become a boy sized slug,” Mary chuckled.

“Why is he ‘your son’ when he does something weird, but ‘our son’ when he does something cute?” John asked.

“I like taking credit for the cute stuff,” Mary explained. “And blaming the weird stuff on you.”

“Nice,” John smiled as he pressed his head against the back of the sofa. “Yeah, I should have told you about the slug thing. He’s been talking about that for a couple of months now. I thought he gave up on it.”

“You knew?” Mary said turned to face John completely on the couch.

“Ah… yeah,” John nodded. “We were working on the car a while ago. Dean was handing me tools and I turned to ask him for something and he was chasing a slug. Told me if he ate enough of them he’d be their boy king or something else equally as ridiculous. It was weird but he does weird crap like that all the time.”

“And you told him to stop eating bugs?” Mary huffed.

“You told me to let him have an imagination,” John shrugged. “Wasn’t hurting anything. Boys eat bugs all the time. If he practices now, he’ll be able to make some good money in middle school eating weird stuff. If he eats enough non edible crap he can play for his own college. Middle school boys will pay him, like, five bucks to slugs someday.”

Mary sighed and shook her head.

“Nothing’s going to happen to him,” John smiled. “It’ll build up his immune system. I ate bugs when I was his age, nothing happened to me.”  
“Little boys are so gross,” Mary laughed. “Hopefully we get the little sister Dean wants, then. we’ll be a Christmas card perfect family I’ve always wanted.”

“Either way we’re a Christmas card perfect family, Mare,” John insured her. “Just if we got two boys there is a much better chance that little Sam will covered in something sticky and Dean will be laughing maniacally while Sam cries. Actually... that will probably happen if little Sam’s a girl too. Kids are horrible.”

Mary rolled her eyes and sighed half heartedly.

John chuckled. He placed his hand lightly on his wife’s expanding belly. “If this one is boy too, it’s only going to be more disgusting. You think Jamie and Dean can get into things now? Just wait. Two boys sending all day together, someone’s going to be sticky almost every day for the rest of their lives. My mom hated it when I’d come home from my aunt’s. I was always covered in a fine layer of something gross. Boy will boys I guess. Just the hazards of having children.”

Mary shook her head before pressing it against his shoulder. “I want a hundred.”

“I’m willing to negotiate for three,” John replied. “A hundred seems a little excessive. I would like a little girl though, we’ll have to try one more time if we end up with two boys after this.”

“A little girl that looks like you?” Mary smiled.

“Just a healthy one,” John replied. “You and Dean got something really special. He just loves you.”

“He love you, too,” Mary said.

“Yeah but you don’t see that way he looks at you,” John continued. “Like you’re the sun and the stars. You’re everything to him. I mean it might be a little selfish, but I want someone who looks at me like that. You know all that teaching them to dance while she stands on my feet, kind of like how you pretend to be tied to the kitchen chair while Dean slays the dragon.”

“I’m the princess,” Mary replied. “But you’re his hero,”

“Yeah,” John sighed.

“And if this ones a boy,” Mary said. “You’ll be his hero too.”

“Yeah, I guess,” John said. “But you know, I’ll be happy either way, don’t get me wrong, I’d just really like having a daughter.”

“You’d be cute wrapped around a little girl’s finger,” Mary giggled. “Imagine you in a pink feather boa and rhinestone tiara.”

“I think I can pull it off,” John smiled squeezing Mary’s calf.

“Remember how scared we were about Dean?” Mary said softly. “I was so afraid he was going to drown when I gave him a bath or electrocute himself if I we put him too close to the wall or get lead poisoning. I was terrified to put him down for a while.”

“There’s still a chance he’ll get lead poisoning,” John joked. "He does eat a lot of weird stuff."

“Don’t let him chew on the walls and we should dodge that one,” Mary giggled. “I feel like we might have a handle on this. It feels like it’s going to be easier. We know what we’re doing and we don’t have to bubble wrap him to make sure the baby doesn’t get hurt.”

“Now we let the kid slide down the banister and eat bugs,” John laughed. “We even let him walk in the grocery store and we haven’t broken him too badly.”

“You let him slide down the banister? Seriously? After what happened last time?”

“I picked him up and held on to him,” John explained. “I didn’t throw him down the stairs. We were just having fun. He’s a little kid. Didn’t you want to slide down the banister when you were little?”

“Of course,” Mary replied. “But my parents would have murdered me.”

“Well, isn’t that what parenthood is supposed to be?” John asked. “Letting your kids do all the things you didn’t get to do that you thought would be cool?”

“We can’t just let him do whatever he wants,” Mary scowled. “We’re not going to be those parents that let their kids do whatever they want. Those people are obnoxious.”

“I didn’t give him a knife,” John defended. “I held onto him and let him slide down the banister once after he asked me every day for two weeks. Want to know what happened after I let him do it? He hasn’t asked to do it since. I say if it’s not going to hurt anybody, just let him do it. We both know he would have figured out a way to climb up there himself then he would have fallen off and cut his head open again. Get it out of his system, he’ll move on. ”

“Yeah,” Mary sighed. “I guess you got something there.”

“So we let him eat bugs and let him slide down the banister,” John said. “We let him hit the couch with a sword because he wants it to be a dragon and eat dinner under the kitchen table during Thanksgiving because with the fancy table-cloth it looks like a cave. No matter what kind of faces my mom makes at you.”

“When did you get good at this parenting stuff?” Mary smiled.

“I started listening to what the best mom in the world was saying,” John answered. “And I started taking notes.”

“You’re sweet.”

“I know,” John said. “Hippie girl down the street really knows what she’s talking about.”

“I hate you,” Mary laughed.

“I love you, too,” John said kissing the top of her head. “You said we can’t expect Dean to act like a little adult because he’s just a kid. I didn’t really have that. I mean, I had a childhood and everything but I had to grow up quick after my dad left. I felt like I had to take care of my mom. Dean’s got the advantage of me on that one. He’ll get to be a kid for as long as he wants. He’ll never have to worry about anything. We’ll both be there for him.”

“We’re going to be the envy of the neighborhood if you keep dropping parenting wisdom like that down on us,” Mary smiled.

“I think I’m going to head up to bed, turn in.” John yawned. “I gotta be back at the shop at 7:30.”

“You should talk to that boss of yours,” Mary said as they both pushed themselves up off the couch. “See if you can stay for breakfast.”

“I don’t know,” John shrugged. “He’s kind of a hard ass.”

“I’m making waffles,” Mary smiled. “Chocolate chip waffles, with the new waffle maker. Dean’s been asking for a month for me to use the waffle maker. He likes to pull the handle down.”

“So Dean’s making waffles?” John chuckled as they started up the stairs. “I think I can swing something with the owner of the place. He does have a soft spot of my wife. I’m gonna say goodnight to the kid then I’ll be in.”

“Just don’t wake him up,” Mary warned.

“I won’t,” John nodded. “I promise.”


	4. Chapter 4

Dean started to imagine what it would be like having a little sibling as February turned to March, after John and Mary had told him the baby’s name was definitely going to be Sam, but they still didn’t know if it was a brother or a sister. Dean figured being a big brother would be a lot like having a sleepover with his best friend like Jamie, the little boy across the street, but they didn’t have to go home the next day. The boys got to play in his tree house all day and even planned to sleep out there, but Jamie’s mom said no. She did help them set up a fort in the living room and they got to sleep in there. They ate whole bunch of cookies and candy and watched movies and stayed up until ten o’clock. Dean imagined that having two kids in the house all the time would be like that every night. If it was, being a big brother was going to be the best fun ever.

As he and John put together the new crib, well, John put together the crib, Dean held the screws really tight so that they didn’t lose any, he remembered when he was little enough to have to sleep in a bed with sides so that he didn’t fall off, but there were lots the other things that his parents were putting in the room didn’t make much sense to him.

“Daddy,” Dean asked as he squeezed the screws very tight in his hand. “How come Baby Sam needs two beds?”

“That one’s not a bed,” John explained nodding across the room. “It’s a changing table. That’s where me or mom will put Sam when we have to change it’s diaper.”

“Where are all the baby’s toys?” Dean asked. “Baby Sam doesn’t have a toy box.”

“Baby toys aren’t like your toys, kiddo,” John replied. “They can’t have little parts and usually light up and stuff like that to keep babies occupied. We probably won’t get the new baby a toy box for it’s stuff for about a year. Right now all the toys we got for the new baby are in the downstairs closet with you board games.”

“I thinked that me and Baby Sam had to share toys,” Dean said.

“Not til the baby’s a little bit older,” John nodded. “Right after it’s born it won’t really do much of anything. You’ll be able to play with it like you play with Jamie and the neighborhood kids when it’s bigger; probably not til it’s about a year and half old, maybe a little older. Before that babies are really different from little kids like you.”

“I don’t understand it good,” Dean said squishing his face. “I thinked that I get a new friend, that what Momma said. You sayed it’s not the same.”

“You’ll understand when the baby gets here, Deano, okay,” John said. “Let me have one of those screws. We’ll get this built up real good before you mom gets back from the mall.”

Dean let his hand fall open slowly and his dad grabbed two screws. As John turned back to his project, Dean squeezed his hand real tight around them again.

“How come the baby gets a swing in its room?” Dean asked. “I want a swing in my room.”

“It’s a special thing for babies,” John said. “Sometimes babies have to stretch. And since it won’t be able to play like you do, it has to stretch out somehow. So Mom will put the baby in there and it’s bounce a up and down a little bit until it learns to walk. You can run around outside, so you don’t need a swing in your room.”

“But I can’t go on the swing in the winter,” Dean pouted.

“You’ll be able to go out there soon,” John replied. “I promise. Spring is just around the corner. It’s almost warm enough now.”

“Then I can jump in mud puddles!” Dean smiled.

“That sounds like an excellent way to annoy your mom,” John nodded.

Dean could tell that his dad was starting to get annoyed with his questions. His dad did that sometimes, Dean knew that he loved him. He just had to be careful about asking too many questions.

“Momma tell you we seed picture of you when you was a baby?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, she mentioned it a while back,” John said sitting down on the floor between Dean and the now finished crib. “You and her have fun doing that?”

“Yeah,” Dean smiled. “Me and Momma always have fun. I like being with her and doing stuff together. I getted to see her momma and daddy. I never seed them before, and momma when she was little, little like me. She was a ballerina. And I seed you when you was a little baby and you had a dress, and Nana when she wasn’t old. Momma said that Grandpa Mike wasn’t your daddy.”

“Yeah,” John nodded taking Dean’s clinched fist and taking out the two extra screws. “Mike’s not my dad, he’s my step dad. I met him when I was eleven. He taught me how to work on cars and all the stuff I use for work. He’s a real good guy. He’s real good to my mom, and that’s most important.”

“Did you knowed the other guy?” Dean asked sliding across the floor to sit right next to his dad and press his head against his dad’s arm.

“I did,” John nodded. “One night, he tucked me into bed and left, and he never came home. But you don’t ever gotta worry about that.”

“I don’t?” Dean mumbled into John’s shirt.

“No, you never do, you wanna know why?” John asked as he pulled Dean into his lap. “Because there is nothing in the world that will ever keep me from kissing you good night. I might come home from work late but do you know what the first thing I do when I get home is?”

“Take off your coat?” Dean guessed.

“After that?” John chuckled.

“Take off your shoes so you don’t get mud on the floor?” Dean said. “Momma gets mad at me all the time because I forget. I make mud everywhere. She tell me that she’s gonna make me learn the vacuum so I can fix it. I try to remember but sometimes I get too excited.”

John shook his head, trying not to laugh. “What do I do after that?”

“Kiss Momma, and tell her you missed her?” Dean guessed. “You gots to do that, Momma likes it when people tell her that.”

“Yeah, she does,” John nodded. “But after I do all of that, then I got up stairs and kiss you good night. Even if you’ve been in bed for a long time. Because you’re the most important thing in my life, and there is nothing that will ever be more important than you and that new baby.”

“You won’t like the new baby more than me, will you?” Dean said looking up at his dad. “I’m the oldest you have to like me the most because you liked for more.”

“Of course, Dean,” John chuckled. “I promise never to like the new baby more than you. And I promise that no matter what happens. I will never walk away from you. You will always be able to find me. You will never, ever, ever disappear.”

“Okay,” Dean nodded. “Are we done building baby stuff for today?”

“I think so,” John replied.

“Can we build a treehouse?” Dean asked. “A really big one?”

“Maybe over the summer,” John replied. “We can’t right now.”

“It’s too cold,” Dean nodded. “Can it have a tire swing and rope ladder?”

“I don’t see why not,” John nodded. “I think that would be a lot of fun for us to do.”

“When I grow up I can live in there,” Dean explained. “Maybe me and the baby will live there.”

“Maybe,” John chuckled. “We’ll see what your mom says.”

“When I’m big will you teach me how to fix the car like Grandpa Mike teached you?” Dean asked.

“I think we can do that,” John agreed. “I would like it if you liked to work on cars too.”

“I like your car,” Dean smiled. “It’s big and nice and I like to help you fix, and then one day I can fix for you. And I work at your work.”

“I would really like that,” John replied. “I don’t think anything would make me happier.”

“Momma is teaching me stuff that Grandma Dean teached her,” Dean continued.

“Her name wasn’t, Dean kiddo,” John chuckled.

“Yes it was,” Dean corrected. “Momma teached me how to cook things and I get to crack the eggs. That’s my favorite part. Maybe when we build the treehouse I can use the real hammer.”

“Maybe,” John nodded. “Your mom might kill me, but maybe we can let you hammer a real nail.”

“I did really good building the baby stuff.”

“Yes you did,” John smiled. “You’ve been a big help.”

Downstairs they head the front door close. Dean looked up at John wide eyed. “Momma’s home.”

Dean pushed himself up and ran down the stairs. John shook his head as he stood and followed his son. Dean was already hugging Mary as she stood in the doorway when John got to the bottom of the stairs.

“You changed your hair,” John commented.

“Yeah,” Mary smiled. “Not much really, just wanted something different.”

“I think it’s beautiful,” Dean told her as he let go and looked up at her.

“Do you finish the crib?” Mary asked rubbing her belly.

“Yeah,” John nodded. “We got it all set up in there. Looks good.”

“Me and Daddy are gonna build a treehouse when it’s gets warm,” Dean interjected. “When I grow up I’m gonna live there, like, when I ten.”

“When you’re a grown up, like ten,” Mary smiled.

“Yeah that’s when you’re a grown up,” Dean nodded.

“How old is Mom then?” Mary chuckled, eyes flicking between her son and her husband, a smile across her face.

“Ummm, fifteen,” Dean said.

“How old is Nana?” John asked.

“A hundred,” Dean answered turning around to look at his dad.

“Makes sense,” John nodded.

“You’re too cute, kiddo,” Mary laughed.

“I know,” Dean nodded. “Everyone tells me.”

“Alright, Momma’s gotta sit down,” Mary said as she tried to get around Dean and into the house. “Baby’s moving too much.”

“Baby Sam moves in there?” Dean asked wide eyed.

“Yeah,” Mary chuckled falling back onto the sofa. “Right now it’s kicking up a storm.”

“The baby kicks you?” Dean said shaking his head. “That’s very mean. I didn’t kick you when I was in there did I?”

“Yes, you did. All the time,” Mary nodded. “Come here.”

Dean took several tentative steps toward his mother on the sofa, who then grabbed his hand and pressed it to her abdomen.

“Do you feel that?” Mary asked. Dean looked up at her and nodded. “That’s the baby moving around. There’s not a lot of room in there. So when the baby moves it kicks. That’s just how it is.”

“That’s Sammy’s foot?” Dean said softly, amazed. “Maybe the baby is moving so much because it’s upside down.”

“Maybe,” Mary smiled, running her fingers through the boy’s hair.

“Do you think Baby Sam will stop moving so much if I read it a story?” Dean said excitedly. “I can read it a story and it will take a nap!”

“You’re gonna read the baby a story?” Mary smiled. “I thought you said you didn’t know how to read.”

“I know how to read Goodnight Moon!” Dean declared. “I’ll read Baby Sam Goodnight Moon!”

Dean spun on his heels and run back upstairs to find the book on his bookshelf. When he got back downstairs, his mom was sitting sideways on the sofa with her legs across. She instructed Dean to climb over her legs. He sat with is legs across his mother’s as close to her belly as possible so the baby could hear. He propped the book against Mary’s stomach and began to “read.”

Mary looked up at John who was standing in the doorway between the kitchen and dining room. She pantomimed camera until John got the hint and grabbed the disposable one that Mary kept in the kitchen.

“What’s this word?” Dean asked pointing at the book.

“Telephone,” Mary smiled.

“Okay,” Dean nodded and kept going, reading a page and then turning the book to show Mary’s belly the picture. Most of the words were the ones actually in the book that Mary had read to him so many times that she wasn’t surprised that the boy had memorized it.

“What’s this one?” He pointed again.

“Whispering,” Mary smiled.

“That’s a big word,” Dean sighed.

“Yes it is,” Mary agreed. “Are you going to read to the baby bedtimes stories when it’s born?”

“Just this one,” Dean said. “Now shush I’m not done.”

He kept sort of reading and showing Mary’s belly the pictures as Mary did her best to not cry.

“And goodnight noises everywhere,” Dean finished. He closed the book and looked up at Mary smiling. “Don’t cry! They’re just going to sleep they’ll be back. You don’t have to be sad. It’s a happy book.”

“I know,” Mary smiled. “Why don’t you go get Daddy and see if we have any pudding? You look hungry.”

“Okay,” Dean nodded. He slid off the couch and ran off to the other room. Mary rubbed her swollen belly, the reading hadn’t stopped the baby from moving around at all, but she knew if Dean asked she’d say it did.

“No!” Dean yelled from the kitchen. “No, I’ll do. I can do it. I’m a big boy I can do it myself.”

“Right,” John sighed. Mary heard his heavy footsteps toward the living room. “Cover yourself in pudding. Whatever makes you happy. Are you alright, Mary?”

“He’s all grown up,” Mary sniffed. “He’s reading.”

“He memorized it,” John smiled. “We’ve both read it to him a million times. And half of what he said weren’t even the words.”

“Yeah but he’s almost reading,” Mary smirked, wiping her face. “He’s so grown up all of a sudden.”

“I’m gonna give him about six seconds before he yells that he can’t open his pudding cup,” John chuckled. “He’s not all grown up. He’s four. If you cry every time he pretends he’s a grown up you’ll never stop crying.”

“I know, it’s just, you know,” she pointed to her stomach.

“Momma, you open this!” Dean said running into the room with is pudding. “I thinked I can do it, but I can’t.”

“Ask Daddy,” Mary smiled. “I don’t want you carrying an open pudding across the living room carpet.”

Dean nodded and pass the cup to John who pulled the cover off and handed it back down to him. “You’re still a big boy if you ask for help,” John explained. “You don’t gotta go everything yourself.”

“Yes I do,” Dean yelled. “I don’t want you to do everything for me. Only babies do that. I’m a big boy. I’m not a baby.” Dean stomped his feet and grabbed his pudding cup before disappearing back into the kitchen.

“Just when I think he’s growing up,” Mary chuckled. “He throws a tantrum about nothing.”

John shrugged. “He’s four. He’s got six more years until he thinks he has to move out.”

Mary smiled and laughed. “Ow. This is so uncomfortable. I wish I could just turn the baby into position so it stopped punching my kidneys. Can you occupy Dean for a couple hours while I take a nap?”

“I’ve been with him all day,” John replied. “You went out with your girl friends.”

“Uh huh,” Mary nodded. “And I’ve been chasing him all day everyday while you’re out at work, so you can handle watching him for one day. I’m tired. Just sit at the table and color or read to him. Take him outside for a little bit. Go upstairs and play whatever weird game he wants to play. Just keep him quiet for a little bit. I really don’t want to climb up the stairs. My back hurts and I’m tired.”

“You’ve been walking around the mall all day,” John sighed. “I’ve been babysitting.”

“First of all,” Mary argued. “You can’t babysit your own kid. Secondly, you do what I do all day everyday for an hour and half. You don’t even have to do anything, just make sure he doesn’t kill himself while I take a nap.”

“That’s…”

“If you say ‘Not fair,’ John, you should know that I know how to kill people and not leave any evidence behind,” Mary said. “You helped make him, you can occupy for an afternoon without my direction.”

“You weren’t like this when you pregnant with Dean,” John mumbled as he turned toward the kitchen.

“We didn’t have a toddler when I was pregnant with Dean,” Mary yelled after him. “Nut up Winchester. It’s only getting harder from here.”

“Momma’s gonna put you in time out if you keep making her mad like that,” Dean commented, face covered in chocolate pudding. “You knowed her more than me, you should know better.”

John grabbed a dish towel off the counter and wiped Dean’s face. “I know kiddo, I’m gonna teach you how to use a spoon here real soon.”

“I know how to use a spoon,” Dean replied pushing his eyebrows together. “Don’t make Momma mad. She tells you she’s disappointed in you. Then you know you’re in big trouble.”

“What do you want to do this afternoon Dean?” John asked, chuckling.

“Is there anymore baby stuff to do?” Dean asked.

“I don’t think so,” John shook his head. “We built everything that needs to be built. Just gotta put the baby in it.”

“Then what can we do?” Dean asked throwing his arms up in the air.

“What if we went outside for a bit?” John asked. “We can put you in your snow suit and we can go out there. It might be warm enough to swing.”

“I really like swinging,” Dean nodded. “And it’ll be quiet, so Momma can take a nap. Baby Sam makes her really tired. Sometimes we have nap time together. But not today because I already taked a nap. I can’t take two naps.”

“No, you can’t,” John smiled.

“I’ll go get my snowsuit,” Dean nodding sliding off his chair. “I’ll go on my tipey toes so I don’t wake up Momma.”

“Right,” John nodded. I’ll meet you over here, then we’ll go play in the back yard.”

“I’m glad I get to play with you today,” Dean smiled grabbing his dad’s legs and hugging him as tight as he could. “I get to have you all to myself. That’s my favorite.”

“It’s my favorite too kiddo,” John smiled. “Go get your suit, we’ll go swinging.”

 

That night long after Dean has his bath and was soundly sleeping in his bed, John joined his wife in their room.

“Was it really that horrible spending the day with Dean?” Mary asked.

“No,” John mumbled, climbing into bed. “It’s not. I just thought we were doing things together as a family. I thought that was the plan for this weekend since we don’t got that many weekends when it’s just the three of us, and I’m working seven days until the baby’s born starting Monday so I can take three weeks off and not have to worry about it.”

Mary pushed herself up to a sitting position and stared down her husband. “Yeah, that was the plan, but plans change. You change up things all the time staying late at work when you say you’ll be home for dinner.”

“I’m the provider,” John shot back. “We’ve had this fight a hundred times. You decided to be a stay at home mom. I’m not holding you hostage. But if you’re here, I have to be there. I’m paying the bills. That’s how it works. You knew that when we decided how we wanted to raise a family.”

“I understand that you’re the one bringing home the paycheck. Your job’s important, it’s important to the family, to you, to our future. You saying things like that makes me feel like I don’t do anything. I have full time job, six full time jobs, if you really want to talk about it. I’m a housekeeper and nanny and short order cook. Only at my job, the pay sucks, the boss is a pain in the ass eighty percent of the time and I don’t get sick days. I asked you to do what I do for two hours because I’m tired from carrying another person inside me all day and you threw a tantrum.”

“I did not throw a tantrum, Mary.”

“When your four year old tells you not to talk like that because you’ll get a timeout, that’s a temper tantrum,” Mary replied. “I know what they look like. Dean has about eighty a day. Look, I could have stayed working. I didn’t have to quit my job, I liked being a secretary. I liked being involved in the garage. It was a fun family operation. I could have gone back and sent Dean to day care like, literally, every other mom in this neighborhood does, but I didn’t. I stayed home. I want to be a mom like my mom was. And you can’t use that against me. You can’t says things like ‘you got to leave the house and left me alone with this tiny person that thinks I’m a God and wants to spend the day with me.’ He begs to spend time with you, and when you’re around I have to tell you to do stuff with him.”

“You don’t...” John answered not sure where he wanted the rest of the sentence to go.

“Name one thing you’ve done with Dean that I didn’t tell you to do,” Mary said. “Teaching him to throw snowballs doesn’t count because I told you to take him outside.”

“Mary,” John shook his head.

“What?” Mary sighed. “He’ll ask you to play with him and you tell him later. It’s not fair to him. What are you going to when we got two of them? You say if it’s a little girl you’ll be that sitcom dad; the dad that you never had. Be that dad to the son you got.”

“I’m trying,” John replied. “Every time we have that this conversation, you make it sound like I hate him. I love being around him. I like the stories he tells that don’t make any sense, and how he sees things. I like being around the kid. I love being around the kid. You can’t even imagine what it feels like to have him look up at me with that smile and say he loves me. I liked pushing him on the swing and watching him jump in the mud puddles today. I’m trying Mary. I really am. I know I’m not the best dad. But I try, which is way more than I got as a kid. I know your dad was some kind of superhero and I’m sorry I can’t measure up to that, but I’m doing everything I know how to do. I’m miles ahead of what my dad did. I know that’s a low bar, but I trying.”

“Just be nice to him without me asking you to,” Mary huffed. 

“I’m not mean to him” John replied.

“You push him away,” Mary said softly. “Let him sit in your lap when you watch tv. Just let him do his thing. He’s needy, yeah, but he’s only gonna be little for a few more years. Just let him do his thing.”

“Right,” John nodded. “I can try harder.”

“I want you to at least give the illusion of trying,” Mary pouted. “That’s all I need. I want Dean to run up to me and tell me all the things the two of you did. Like he does when you get home. Know what would really fun for him to do? We can draw a map and make little puzzles for him to figure out and hide a prize. It’ll keep him occupied of hours if you do it right.”

“I can do that,” John nodded. “I’ll take him with me to grab stuff for the shop tomorrow. You can hide stuff? I’ll find something he’ll like as a prize.”

“You gotta do some drawing,” Mary replied. “I’m not doing all the work.”

“Right,” John nodded. “Fair I think.”

“Good,” Mary smiled. “It’s settled then. Tomorrow is adventure day. He’ll be a pirate. He’ll want to wear his eye patch to the store if we tell him he’s hunting treasure. He may make you wear one too.”

“I will do my best not to be incredibly embarrassed,” John nodded.

“What they never tell you about parenting,” Mary smirked sliding back down so she was laying down again. “Is that most of it is not caring what you look like in public anymore. And realizing no one else really cares. You don’t got to be manly man marine all the time. You can be the sweet guy I married. Be that guy I saw kill a dragon in the living room that time.”

“I’ll try harder,” John promised. “I’ll make you proud.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading and leaving kudos, I appreciate the support with this story. 
> 
> Up Next: Sam makes his first appearance. Thank you so much for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

On the first of May, Mary and Dean were sitting at the kitchen table with a big piece of paper in front of the boy and flashcards with the letters of the alphabet printed on them.

"If you put these letters together," Mary explained. "That spells your name."

"D-E-A-N," Dean nodded then took a blue crayon and wrote then down on the paper. "I wanna learn the baby's name so I can draw a picture and write 'to Sam' on it."

"Alright," Mary smiled. "Look for S-A-M in the pile. Then you can write them down."

"I like learning," Dean said as he sat up on his knees to go through the cards.

Mary let out a very labored breath and started to rub her belly. It wasn't the first time today, and Dean was starting to think there was something wrong with is mom.

"Momma," Dean asked. "Are you okay? You look sick."

"I'm fine baby," Mary nodded. "Keep going, okay? You're doing a really good job learning to spell. You'll be the smartest kid your class if you keep this up."

Dean went back to lining up letters to spell simple words until Mary moaned and started to squirm in her chair.

"Momma," Dean said softly. "If Baby Sam hurting you again?"

"No, sweetie," Mary said breathing slowly. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Dean argued. "You look like when I hurt my elbow when I fell off the swing and it really hurt really a lot but I didn't want to be a baby and cry so I didn't cry, but it was bleeding really bad."

"Can you do me a favor buddy?" Mary whispered. "Do you know how to use the phone?"

Dean shook his head. "No."

"Alright, go get your step stool and push it over to the phone," Mary instructed. Dean jumped off the chair and bounced across the room on the balls of his feet."I need you to press the star button and the three. Can you do that?"

"Yep," Dean nodded pressing the buttons of the phone.

"Hold it to your ear, a lady named Angela should answer," Mary continued. "Tell her your name and that you have to talk to John."

Dean nodded as the phone rang in his ear. After a couple rings a lady with a sweet voice answered. "G and W Garage, this in Angela."

"Hello," Dean said loudly. "This is Dean Winchester. I have to talk to John, please."

"John the owner?" Angela asked.

"She wants to know if it's John the owner," Dean said to his mom across the room.

"Yes," Mary sighed, then mumbled. "Idiot."

"My momma says yes, John the owner," Dean repeated, yelling into the receiver.

"Alright that's gonna a minute," Angela said.

"Okay," Dean answered.

There was rustling through the line and some hushed voices. "It sounds like a kid playing with the phone."

"A kid named Dean," a voice that sounded a lot like his dad's sighed. "My kid's name is Dean. My wife is nine months pregnant Angie, you think it might be fricking important."

"Sorry, seemed like a prank call!"

"Give me the damn phone," the man growled. "This is John."

"John is on the phone," Dean relayed to his mom.

"Tell him to come home," Mary said shaking her head. "Tell him Mom says to come home."

"My Momma says that you have go home," Dean repeated.

"Okay, Dean," John replied. "I want you to get a cup and get some water out of the fridge like I showed you and give it to your mom. I'll be home in ten minutes."

"Alright," Dean said. "I can do that." The line went dead and Dean looked over to his mom. "I think he hanged up."

"He's on his way?" Mary asked.

"Ten minutes," Dean nodded as he pushed his footstool over to cabinet to get a plastic cup. He placed the cup on this foot stool and pressed it over to the fridge, climbed up and filled the cup with water, then brought it to his mom.

"Thank you," Mary smiled. "That's was very nice. Can you do me another favor?"

Dean nodded.

"Upstairs in Mom and Dad's room, on the footstool, there is a big black bag," Mary explained. "It's kind of heavy, but I need you bring it down stairs. Just drag it. Use your superhero strength okay?"

"Okay!" Dean turned on his heel and ran up the stairs. He grabbed the strap in the big duffle bag and pulled with all his might. It fell down to the floor with a thud. Dean step inside the shoulder strap and pulled it behind him. The stairs, however, were going to be an interesting obstacle.

"I don't know how to do the stairs!" Dean yelled.

"Push the bag down and follow it!" Mary called back.

"You told me never to throw things down the stairs!" Dean answered.

"It's okay just this one time," Mary couldn't help but chuckle.

"Okay!" Dean said.

He stepped out of the band, walked around the bag and pushed it down the stairs. It tumbled loudly as the front door opened.

"What are you doing?" John sighed.

"I told him to," Mary replied quickly. "Trying to save time."

"I used the phone Daddy!" Dean yelled running down the stairs.

"I know buddy," John laughed. "Who do you think you called?"

"I don't know," Dean shrugged.

"Never grow up, kiddo," John laughed before turning to his wife. "How far apart are they?"

"Started this morning," Mary confessed. "I thought it would be fine til you got home from work but we gotta go. There like ten, fifteen minutes apart."

"Deano," John said looking over to the boy. "I need you to put your shoes on, then go outside and get in the car, can you do that?"

"Seat buckle myself in?" Dean asked.

"Please?" John asked.

Dean nodded. He sat on the floor next to the closet and pulled on his new Spiderman velcro shoes and skipped outside. He had recently learned how to open the car door and was pretty proud of himself about that. He pulled himself up into the car and climbed into his booster seat. Baby Sam's new car seat next to him. He waited patiently for his parents to come out, kicking his feet back and forth.

After what seemed like forever, his dad helped his mom in the passenger's seat, then leaned in to the back to check Dean's seat belt and toss the big black duffle bag in.

"You ready to be a big brother Dean?" John asked.

"Right now!" Dean gasped.

"Real soon, buddy," John said, before kissing Dean in the top of the head and closing the door and heading around to the front.

"When we get to the hospital," Mary said softly. "You're in charge of that black bag, okay?"

"Yep," Dean nodded. "Is Baby Sam in the bag?"

"No," Mary chuckled. "Sam still in Mom. We're going to the doctor to get the baby out."

"You gotta get him amoved?" Dean asked.

"Yes," Mary smiled turning a little. "Nana and Grandpa Mike are going to meet us there. And hopefully not too long from now you'll be a big brother."

"I'm excited," Dean said. "I can't wait to see a baby in person not a picture. Will the baby amember me from talking to it through your belly? I hope it does."

"Maybe sweetheart," Mary replied. "We'll find out real soon."

"I can't wait!" Dean giggled. "This is going to be the best. I'm gonna be the bestest big brother. I'll maybe share my chicken nuggets."

"Wow, Dean," John laughed as they pulled into the hospital. "That's a pretty big commitment."

"I said maybe," Dean said. "It has to be a really good baby to get my chicken nuggets."

"Alright," John smiled pulling into a space by the emergency room. "You hold up for just a second. I'll be right back."

"You're not going to fireman carry me in this time?" Mary called as John got out of the car. "I was looking forward to it."

"Sorry, Mare," John shrugged.

Mary let out a deep sigh and swore under her breath.

"Are you mad?" Dean asked softly.

"No, it's just hurts," Mary said breathing slowly. "It'll be okay."

"I'm sorry the baby hurts you," Dean replied. "I'll have a good talk with Baby Sam when I meet them. I will tell Sam it's not okay to hurt Momma."

"Thank you, Dean," Mary smiled. "That's very sweet."

John pulled up beside the car with a wheelchair and red headed nurse. He helped Mary out of the car, then turned to get Dean out.

"This is exciting Daddy," Dean squealed.

"Yes it is," John smiled. "Nana and Grandpa are gonna be here real soon. They're gonna watch you for a little bit. Does that sound like fun?"

"I want to see Baby Sam!" Dean whined.

"You will big guy," John explained as he carried Dean while the nurse pushed Mary in a wheelchair. "You just can't be in the room when he's born. I think Nana's gonna take you to McDonald's for dinner and you can play, and when you get back, hopefully, you'll be a big brother."

"I want to be there," Dean pouted.

"It's not for kids, Dean," Mary answered, groaning. "It's just for moms and dads. You'll get to see him not too long after the baby's born. I promise. Going to McDonald's with Nana will be a lot for fun."

"Cross your heart?" Dean asked.

"Yes," Mary smiled. "Cross my heart."

 

John sat with Dean in the waiting room after Mary had been check in and ushered up to a birthing suite until his mother arrived.

Dean giggled and bounced around the room entertaining family members waiting for news about their loved one. He did the little teapot dance and sang the alphabet song while the strangers laughed and clapped, until that familiar older woman entered the room.

"Nana!" Dean ran over with is arms in the air.

She lifted the boy in the air as she walked over the her son. "Sorry, we took so long," she smiled kissing John on the check. "We weren't expecting a call until tomorrow."

"It's okay, we're not in push mode yet," John nodded. "If you got him, I'll go check up on her."

"I'm hungry," Dean interjected. "Daddy said you're gonna to McDonald's. I want chicken nuggets."

"Alright," Nana laughed. "You go. We'll feed him, run him, then bring him back."

"Yeah," John nodded.

"Go be with your girl," Grandpa Mike said gripping John's shoulder. "We'll take care of the rugrat."

"I'm not a rat," Dean protested. "I'm a boy."

"Right," Grandpa Mike chuckled. "We'll be back in a couple hours.

"Congratulations, Angel," Nana smiled. "We'll see you soon."

"Thanks, Ma," John smiled. "You gotta car seat for him?"

"I got it under control, John," Nana smiled. "I've done this before you know."

"Yeah, right," John nodded. "I'll see you in a bit."

Dean had never seen that look on his dad's face before. It was soft and kind, almost like he was about to cry.

"You behave, Dean," John said bopping Dean on the nose. "I'll see you in a little bit."

"Okay," Dean smiled. "I'll see you when I'm a big brother."

Nana placed Dean back on the ground and took his hand as John turned and headed through the double doors where Dean knew his mom was.

Nana and Grandpa Mike drove Dean down the road to McDonald's. Dean didn't get to have fast food very often. His mom was very good at making sure Dean had home cooked meals. So this was a big treat for the boy.

"This is best Nana," Dean said as they waited in line.

"You know what you want to eat?" Grandpa Mike asked.

"Chicken nuggets," Dean nodded. "I love chicken nuggets."

"You want milk or some juice?" Nana asked.

"I can I have a milkshake?" Dean asked softly.

"Would Mom let you have a milkshake with dinner?" Nana asked.

"No, never," Dean said shaking his head.

"Alright then," Nana said. "We'll get you a little chocolate shake."

"Chocolate," Dean laughed. "I wished I got to be a big brother everyday."

"This is a special day," Nana said running her fingers through his hair. "If you got chocolate shakes everyday it would be a special treat."

"I guess so," Dean conceded.

"How about you and Grandpa go get a seat," Nana said. "I'll be over with the food in a little bit."

"I wanna sit by the play thing!" Dean yelled.

"Alright," Grandpa Mike smiled. "Just quieter, alright."

Dean nodded excitedly as he took his grandpa's hand as was lead to the table right next to the entrance to the play area.

"This is the best ever Grandpa," Dean smiled as he climbed into the booth right next to the door of the play area.

"You really think so?"

"Mmhmm," Dean nodded. "I never get to go here. Jamie talks about the play place all the time, but I never getted to go. And I get to have ice cream during dinner, and I get chicken nuggets. Chicken nuggets are my favorite and I get to go on a slide and I get a brother or a sister. This is the best day of my life."

"I'm glad to hear that," Grandpa Mike answered. "You're real excited about the baby, huh?"

"The most excited," Dean explained. "I never meeted a baby before. And this baby will be mine to teach stuff. That's what Daddy says. It'll be my job to teach Baby Sam all about being a little kid. I think I'll be good at it."

"You are the best little kid that I know," Grandpa agreed.

Nana came to the table with the tray of food and placed Dean's meal in front him. Smiling, he dug in happily, doing his best to remember not to talk while he was eating.

 

The play place was the like something out of a dream. Dean had never seen anything like it. There was a ball pit, and the highest slide he'd ever seen; there were tunnels and rope ladders and all sorts of fun exciting things to play on. He could spend the rest of his life in there and never get tired.

"When do we gotta go back to the doctor?" Dean asked as he ran up to his grandparents after he'd been in the play area for about an hour.

"You play until you don't want to play any more," Nana said. "Then we'll go back. You just have as much fun as you can."

"Okay," Dean nodded. "It could be a while. There's a lot of fun things in there. They got a ball pit!"

"You just have fun sweetie pie," Nana smiled.

So Dean ran back inside, climbing and sliding and jumping in the ball pit until he thought he'd fall asleep right there plastic balls. Dean met a little boy in there about his age and threw balls at each other and chased eat other around the jungle gym until his mom said it was time to go home. He had the time of his life in there just running around and jumping on things. He couldn't wait to tell his mom all about it. He knew she'd think it was pretty cool too.

"I think I'm tired," Dean yawned as he dragged himself back over to his Nana and Grandpa Mike. "I'm ready to go to sleep."

"Alright then," Nana nodded. "Let's go see what's going on at the hospital."

Dean fell asleep in his car seat before they'd pulled out of the McDonald's parking lot.

 

"Hey, Dean," a voice whispered in his ear softly, pulling him from a wonderful dream.

"I'm sleeping," Dean mumbled.

"Dean, buddy, can you wake up for a minute," the voice said. "I want you to meet somebody."

"Nooooooo," Dean whined sleepily. "I'm sleeping."

"You don't want to meet your brother?"

Dean lifted his head off his father's shoulder and blinked slowly. "I have a brother?"

"Mmmhmm," John smiled. "You got a little brother named Sam, and he wants to meet you."

"He remembers me?" Dean asked softly.

"Why don't you ask him?" John said walking across the room.

Dean saw his mom, looking red eyed and tired holding a tiny bundle in her arms.

"Is that him?"' Dean asked, yawning.

"Yeah," John replied.

"Put him right here," Mary instructed patting the bed next to her. There was a tiny amount of room, perfect for Dean to fit in.

"He's really little," Dean observed.

"Yeah he is," Mary smiled. "What you think?"

"Can I touch him?" Dean asked.

"You gotta be really careful," Mary said.

Dean reached out his hand and poked Sam's cheek. "He's very soft, little tiny fingernails."

"Do you like him?" John asked.

"I think so," Dean nodded.

"Wanna hold him?" Mary asked.

Dean nodded enthusiastically. "I can?"

"Everybody else had a turn while you were asleep," Mary said. "It's only fair that the big brother gets to hold him."

"How old is he?" Dean asked as Mary passed Sam over to Dean.

"Hold his head very carefully," Mary instructed. "He's very fragile. He's only two hours old."

"That's really little," Dean said softly. He held on to Sam like his mom said and stared down at him. There was something in Dean that made him feel like he had to hold on and never let go. Dad had told him that he was going to have to protect Sam when he was born, but he didn't really understand what he meant until right then, holding Sam for the first time.

"Hello Sam," Dean whispered. "It's your big brother. You remember me? I talked to you when you were in the belly. I readed you stories. We're gonna play lots of games when you get bigger. It'll be fun."

"What do you think Dean?" John asked. "Can we keep him?"

"He smiled at me," Dean gasped, looking between his parents. "He likes me!"

Mary took the infant back before Dean got excited. She knew exactly how Dean got when he too excited. He could flail and bounce and that was never a good thing when it came to a tiny baby.

"He remembers me!" Dean said. "He remembers me reading to him when he was in your belly!"

"I guess so," Mary chuckled.

"I like him," Dean smiled. "When can he go home?"

"Not for a couple days," Mary explained. "But you, little buddy, are going to go home with Nana, and sleep in you bed and come back in the morning."

"I'm too excited to sleep."

"It's three a.m." Mary said, running her fingers through his hair. "You're gonna go home and go to sleep for a little bit. If I had it my way Daddy wouldn't have even woken you up."

"I am happy he did," Dean yawned. "I couldn't wait to met my brother til the morning. Then he'd be a lot older."

"He'd be six hours old," Mary smiled. "Baby's change fast, but not that fast."

"That's a long time, Momma," Dean nodded. "He might have teeth and eyes by then."

"He has eyes," Mary laughed. "He's just sleeping. But Momma is really tired, she needs to go to sleep. So you need to go with Nana, and she's gonna bring you home and you're gonna sleep in your bed. Then you can come back in the morning and we can all hang out with baby some more."

"I guess that's okay," Dean nodded. "I am kinda tired." He put his arms up so his dad could pick him up. "I really like the baby. He's smells funny, but I think I can get used to it. He seems like a good brother."

"I'm glad you think so," Mary smiled. "I'll see you in the morning. Then you can tell me all about how much fun you had with Nana and Grandpa at the play place."

"I had ice cream for dinner!" Dean giggled.

"Tell me in the morning," Mary said. "Daddy and Nana are going to take you home. Be a good boy."

Dean was never really sure how he felt about this baby situation. He thought it would be weird having another kid around all the time, but holding Sam for the short time he got to today was the most special thing he'd ever felt in his life. He knew that being a big brother was going to be hard, but he knew that he had to be the best brother ever for Sam.


	6. Chapter 6

When Sam was six days old, Mary awoke to the tiny face of impatient four year old sitting cross legged on her bed staring at her.

"Good morning, Dean."

"Hi!"' Dean smiled. "Are you awake now?"

"Mmhmm," Mary said stretching. "I am."

"Daddy said not to wake you up," Dean said bouncing up onto his knees. "So I just watched you until you waked up."

"Oh," Mary replied. "Alright."

"You should go downstairs," Dean said. "Daddy's trying to make breakfast and I think he's gonna burn the house down."

"Right,"' Mary sat up and pulled the covers off. "Let's go get Sammy and head downstairs."

"Sam's in the baby jail downstairs," Dean said scurrying around the bed to meet his mom and take her hand. "Daddy bringed him downstairs cuz he was crying."

"He's in the playpen?" Mary smiled. "It's not baby jail."

"That's what Daddy calls it," Dean continued. "Already today he woked up and squirmed a little bit, and then he cried, and then he had a bottle, and then he went back to sleep."

"He doesn't really do very much does he?" Mary laughed as Dean lead her down the hall to the stairs.

"No," Dean shook his head. "You should carry me."

"No," Mary yawned. "You're a big boy, you can walk down the stairs."

"You carry Sam," Dean pouted.

"Sam can't walk," Mary explained. "You can, kiddo."

Dean pouted and crossed his arms across his chest and stormed down the stairs. Mary couldn't help but laugh at her older boy. He was doing really well at understanding that Sam needed her too, but sometimes he just wanted to be babied. It was cute, but Mary knew if she gave in too often he'd never stop.

"I told him not to wake you up," John said shaking his head as Mary walked up behind him and pressed a kiss into his cheek.

"He didn't," Mary whispered. "He just sat on the bed and stared at me until I woke up."

"That's..." John laughed.

"Super creepy," Mary smiled. "Nothing like waking up to a face right in your face. I heard you that you were burning the house down."

"I'm making french toast," John defended. "I got blueberries and whipped cream and everything. There's sausage and bacon on the counter."

"What did I do to get all this?" Mary asked.

"You gave me two beautiful little boys," John answered.

"It's Mother's Day," Mary chuckled. "Oh yeah."

"You forgot about Mother's Day?" John laughed placing some of the french toast on a plate.

"I have a six day old," Mary confessed. "I'm lucky I remember to change my clothes everyday."

"I'd remind you," John smiled. "You'd start to smell weird after a couple days."

"I maked you this!" Dean yelled running up to Mary with a piece of paper and small box.

"Okay, let's go to the table, so Daddy can finish making breakfast."

Mary and Dean sat down at the kitchen table, Dean climbed into her lap.

"I maked this for you for Mother's Day," Dean said holding up the picture. "I writed everything. Daddy helped me."

"Let's see what it says," Mary said placing her chin on Dean's head and looking at the drawing. It was two stick people, both with yellow hair holding hands.

"It's me and you," Dean explained. "And I writed Happy Mother's day. Love Dean."

"This is very nice," Mary smiled. "I'm gonna hang it on the fridge and show all my friends when they come over. You're a very talented little artist. You're getting really good at writing your letters. What's in the box?"

"I maked this too," Dean explained as Mary opened the little box.

"A macaroni necklace!" Mary laughed. "And a matching bracelet."

"You like it?" Dean asked. "I worked really hard."

"I love it," Mary said kissing the top of Dean's head. "It's my favorite piece of jewelry I have. Thank you so much."

"Breakfast time," John announced placing two plates down on table. "You need to sit in your own seat now, Deano."

"Okay," he nodded sliding down off his mom's lap. "Do I have to eat the blueberries?"

"Yes," John answered. "They're good for you."

"What if I don't like them?" Dean asked.

"Eat them anyway," John smirked. "They're covered in syrup. You'll be fine.

"Okay," Dean shrugged. "I getted you another thing."

"Really?" Mary said. "You already got me the perfect gift."

"I know," Dean said shoving food into his mouth. "But Grandpa Mike gave me five dollars for being a big brother. So I go-ed to the store and I looked at stuff, and I buyed you a coloring book."

"That was for mom?" John asked.

"Yeah," Dean nodded. "It's a Princess one. So we color durning Dean and Momma time, you can color if your special book."

"You spent your money on me?" Mary asked. "You didn't have to do that."

"Yeah I do," Dean answered. "Cuz you're the most important."

"That's so sweet," Mary smiled, playing with Dean's hair.

"Finish your breakfast and we'll get ready for the day," John said. "Lots to do today."

"What are we gonna do?" Dean asked drawing circles in the syrup on his plate.

"Don't play with your food," John sighed. "We're going to do whatever your mom wants to do."

"Play on the swings?" Dean asked looking over at her with wide eyes. "Go to the park?"

"We'll see," Mary smiled.

"We can put Sammy in the baby swing at the park and he can swing and it will be a fun time."

"He's too little for that still," Mary said. "But I think we can go to the park."

"Yes!" Dean cheered.

"Dean," John sighed. "Can you use your fork to eat like a normal person, please?"

"It's easier this way," Dean explained ripping apart his piece of french toast with his fingers.

"But it's nicer if you use the fork, sweetheart," Mary replied. "That's how big boys do it. If you act like a big boy maybe we'll go to the park like you want."

Dean huffed and picked up his fork.

"Thank you," Mary smiled.

"How do you do that?" John chuckled. "Everytime."

"He likes me more," Mary shrugged. "You just gotta be nice. If you scold him, he doesn't listen."

"I always listen," Dean defended. "I'm a good listener."

"Most of the time," Mary nodded. "You're a very good boy, Dean."

Dean smiled and sat up a little higher as he stabbed at his breakfast, clearly proud of himself.

"You gotta have the special touch when it comes to the kids," Mary smirked. "I've been told I'm a natural."

"You're something," John smiled, looking at her like she held all the secrets of the world. "That's for sure."

 

After John had successfully removed the syrup from all over his older son and Dean had gotten himself dressed in his new "I'm a big brother" t-shirt that Mary had found too adorable not to buy on her last trip to K-Mart, the family got ready to head off toward the park.

"Are we driving?" John asked as Mary grabbed the diaper bag and Sammy.

"It's a block and half away," Mary replied. "No, we're going to walk like normal people."

"It's not very far," Dean added. "I can run there and not stop one time."

"You could probably run to the moon and back without stopping with all the sugar you just ate," John chuckled.

"I didn't eat sugar," Dean said squinting his eyes. "I ate breakfast. Can I push Sammy in the stroller?"

"Umm," Mary thought as she strapped Sam into place. "I don't think that would be a very good idea, kiddo. Not along the road. Next time we go to the mall you can push him around a little bit there. There aren't any cars."

"Okay," Dean shrugged as he opened the front door. He bounced down the walkway, waiting for his parents to catch up as they maneuvered Sammy in the stroller down the front steps.

"Would you like to ride on my shoulders kiddo?" John asked when they caught up with him.

Dean nodded excitedly and reached his arms up toward his father.

"Do you think I'll be this tall one day?" Dean asked as he gripped his father's forehead so he wouldn't fall. "I like being this tall. It's fun. I can see over the trees and maybe touch a cloud one time."

"You might be," John agreed. "I don't see why not, if you keep eating your vegetables like mom says."

"I will," Dean agreed. "If it mean I get to be the tallest boy in the world."

They continued on their short walk, just enjoying the sunshine and fresh air after the winter. It was the first time they'd been able to go out as a family since Sam was born. It was great being together in the house, but a stir crazy Dean was one of the worst things either of his parents had ever had to live through. It was an extraordinarily beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky, warm enough to not wear a jacket, just picture perfect for Sammy's first day out and about.

When they arrived at the park, John placed Dean back on the ground and he took off toward the large play structure made out of old tires. From the looks of things, every other family in the neighborhood with children under seven had the same idea. Mary and John found their way to a picnic table not too far away from the play structure near the family that lived kiddie corner to them.

"Good morning, Joyce." Mary smiled. "Happy Mother's Day."

"Out and about all ready," Joyce laughed. "How are you doing?"

"Real good," Mary nodded. "We're doing real good. Dean's actually been really great, way better than I thought he would be. I mean, he said he'd be the best big brother he could, but I was afraid he'd be rough with him. He's been good."

"I told you," Joyce said. "You got all worried for nothing."

"He wants to do stuff with Sam that Sam's not big enough to do," Mary shrugged. "He wants to play pirates and wrestle and all the stuff that he sees your boys doing. He's not a very patient little boy."

"He'll understand someday," Joyce said. "Right now he just wants a playmate."

"Yeah," Mary sighed. "It's cute though."

"I think he knows if he asks enough eventually we'll get annoyed and give in," John added. "He's a smart kid. Wears us down slowly."

"He's not that bad," Mary laughed. "And he's not go tie a cape onto a baby because I'm annoyed that he's asked six hundred times."

"Give it a couple months," John nodded. "I will bet you money you'll be looking for a Robin Onesie come October."

"That's not even the same thing," Mary said shaking her head.

"Just wait," John smirked.

Dean came running up the slight hill with grass stains already covering his knees.

"Daddy," he gasped out of breath. "You need to push me on the swings so I can go higher."

"Alright," John nodded standing up.

"There's a tire swing," Dean continued. "And me and Jamie and Brandon can fit on it, and you need to push us on that. We want to go really high."

"Okay, I'm coming," John smiled. Dean grabbed his hand and the two of them walked off toward the swings.

"John's been a lot better too," Mary whispered as they walked out of earshot. "When we had Dean he got so freaked out I was worried that he'd do that again. But he's been amazing. He even made breakfast this morning! Last year he took us out, and I don't think he's gotten over the trauma of a half asleep Dean out in public. He's really trying this time around. I was scared, but it looks like I got nothing to be scared of."

"I told you," Joyce replied. "I told you he'd figure it out and learn how to be a dad. Motherhood just comes naturally to some people, fatherhood can be a learned skill. He just had to figure out what his role was."

"He's not used to being bossed around," Mary chuckled. "And John's right, Dean does tend to get his way most of the time. He kind of runs the show, but I mean, I'm trying to do everything I wanted my parents to do."

"My boys run the show too, Mary," Joyce replied. "Don't think for a second there isn't a family on this block that's any different. When he's a little bigger, things will change, but who in their right mind would look at your little boy's face when he asks you to play superheroes with him and say no."

"His cuteness is sort of a problem," Mary laughed.

"Let's see the new one," Joyce said nodding at the stroller that Mary was pushing back and forth with her foot. "I think it's time for Sammy's debut!"

Mary stood and took the tiny bundle out of the stroller and handed him off to her friend. "He should be waking up soon. John fed him before I woke up but that was at least two or three hours ago."

"Isn't he just the most precious thing?" Joyce cooed. "Does he look like Dean did?"

"No," Mary chuckled. "I think he looks more like John's mom. Definitely Winchester Family dark hair. Dean looked just like my baby pictures."

"They smell so good," Joyce said rocking Sam back and forth. "I could just smell baby smell forever."

 

When John and Dean made it to the swing area, Jamie and Brandon were already on the big tire, waiting.

"You pick me up?" Dean asked holding his hands above his head.

John lifted him and placed him on the empty area of the swing.

"How high are you boys looking to go?"

"All the way," Brandon nodded. "As high as we can."

"Let's do this then," John sighed as he rolled up his sleeves.

He pushed the boys a few times while they complained that they weren't going high enough, then started to push harder until he had to stand on his toes to push them more.

"Higher!" Dean yelled.

John nodded and grabbed the tire on it's next swing toward him and ran as fast as he could pushing the swing way over his head. The boys squealed excitedly.

"That high enough, boys?"

A chorus of yeses giggled down.

John leaned against the fence watching the swing go back and forth while the boys about whether or not to ask John to do it again.

"We want you to do it again," Dean announced as the boys slowed down.

"Are you sure?" John smiled.

"Yes," the boys agreed.

"Alright, one more time," John said. "Then I don't think I can do it again. I'll have to push you regular."

"Okay!" Dean nodded as John started the process again. Running under the swing again as fast as he could.

"There you go boys," John nodded.

"Thank you, Daddy!" Dean called down laughing.

John leaned against the fence again, just listening to that laughter. It was one of the best noises he'd ever heard. Dean had one of those contagious laughs that make everyone around him smile.

"Thank you very much Mr. Winchester," Jamie smiled as they jumped down off the swing. "That was the best."

"Yeah," Brandon nodded in agreement. "It was way higher than I thought you could push us."

"You're welcome," John nodded.

"Do you want to come with us?" Dean asked. "We're gonna go to wooden bridge, and maybe go on a zip line."

"You think you're big enough for a zip line?" John asked.

"I'm not a baby anymore," Dean said shaking his head. "I'm big enough."

"I don't know kiddo," John said shaking his head. "It's kinda scary. I don't know if big enough for that yet."

The zip line was one the bigger kid side of the playground. John knew that Dean was in no way big enough to go down the zip line. He saw crying and a lot of blood in his future if he let Dean go on that zip line. Mary would have his head on a platter he allowed their son to go on that thing.

"Do your parents let you go on the zip line?" John asked the other boys.

"No," Jamie whispered. "But I really want to. Maybe if you watched us we can do it."

"I don't want you boys to get hurt," John said. "How about we save the zip line for when you're in first grade?"

"That's forever," Dean pouted.

"Your mother would kill me if I let you go on there."

"It can be a secret!" Dean pleased. "You don't have to tell her."

"Dean," John sighed. "Just play on the rest of the playground. I don't want you over there. You'll get hurt."

"Fine," Dean huffed. "You're not invited to play with us anymore."

"Okay," John shrugged. "I'll go sit with Mom and Sammy."

Dean turn and ran in the other direction toward the jungle gym with his friends, leaving John behind.

John walked back up the hill toward his wife. Hoping the boys would listen.

 

"All pushed out?" Mary laughed as John rejoined them.

"I did the under push thing on the tire swing a couple of times," John replied. "Then the boys decided I wasn't cool enough to hang with them because I told Dean he couldn't go on the zip line."

"He's so not big enough for that," Mary said shaking her head. "He'll break his neck."

"I told him a less worst case scenario of that sentiment," John replied.

"He's gonna kill himself," Mary shook her head. "You know he's gonna do it anyway just because you said no."

"Yeah," John nodded. "And when he runs up here crying and bloody, maybe he'll learn a lesson about listening when we say no."

"Go stand by the zip line!" Mary yelled. "Prevent the worst case scenario, seriously, John."

"Alright," John sighed. "I thought I was doing it right. I'll go catch him when he falls."

"No, stay here," Mary said rolling her eyes. "Let him break his neck."

"Calm down," John sighed. "I'm going."

John walked back down to the fenced in area, where sure enough all three of the boys were in the zip line platform fighting over who should get to go first.

"I'm the oldest," Jamie said. "I should go first."

"I'm the youngest," Brandon argued. "I should go first. I never get to go first."

"I should go first," Dean suggested. "Because you two are fighting about it and no one's going."

"No," Jamie shook his head. "That's not fair."

"How about no one goes first," John said as he looked over the fence. "Because I'm pretty sure I told you all that no one was going on the zip line until you were bigger."

"I'm gonna do it!" Dean shouted grabbing the handles and standing on the platform. "I'm gonna do and it's gonna the most fun ever."

"Dean Michael," John warned. But Dean was flying across the playground.

"Son of a-" John sighed making his way around the fence into zip line area. Dean was about halfway to the end of line as John watched his son's hands start to slip, and there was nothing he could do as he fell the six feet to the ground with an audible thud.

"Do not move," John yelled to the brothers standing on the platform wide-eyed. "I told you boys not to play on this. Stay right where you are Dean. I'm right here."

Dean was laying on his back on the ground coughing when John got to him. He hadn't started crying yet, but John knew they were moments from an explosion.

"This is why you have to listen to dad," John said as he scooped Dean up.

Dean gasped for breath as John carried him to the platform and laid him down flat.

"I'm broken," Dean whispered.

"I think you just go the wind knocked out of you," John said as he checked Dean's arms, legs, and ribs for any sign of damage. "Are you gonna listen next time?"

Dean sniffled and nodded, tears leaking out of the sides of his eyes. "I'm broken."

"You're gonna be okay," John insured him. "Why don't you two go play on the little kid half of the playground?"

"Yes Mr. Winchester," the brothers said softly.

John scooped Dean up again and carried him back to Mary.

"What happened?" Mary shouted. "Exactly what I said was going to happen isn't it?"

"He's fine," John replied. "Nothing broken. He got the wind knocked of him. He'll be fine. Your boys got a nice life lesson about listening too."

"Where are they?" Joyce said quickly. "They didn't go on that stupid thing did they?"

"No, Dean was the only one," John said shaking his head. "I sent your boys off to play in their section of the playground. They'll probably be heading back up this way before too long. They looked pretty terrified about what they watched."

"We're taking him to the hospital," Mary said quickly as she placed Sam back into the stroller.

"I watched him fall," John replied as he placed Dean down on the picnic table. "He fell on his backside, landed flat on the ground. There weren't any rocks for anything, it's all soft grass like the people who designed the park knew something like this would happen. He just had the wind knocked out of him. He'll be fine."

"I'm broken," Dean mumbled.

"He didn't hit his head," John continued. "He scared himself. He'll be fine. He'll be running around about in a few minutes."

"If he's not fine by dinner we're taking him to the hospital," Mary said.

"That sounds fine," John nodded. "But he's okay. I swear. I checked him out, no broken bones, he didn't lose consciousness. I was ten feet away when he fell, I did everything I could to stop him."

"I didn't listen," Dean said softly. "I thinked it be fun. It was not fun at all. I gotta listen better to Daddy."

"Are you okay sweetheart," Mary said running her fingers through Dean's hair.

"I think so," Dean whispered nodding a little bit. "I'm sorry I didn't listen and ruined the park."

"You didn't ruin anything, Dean," John said.

"I ruined Sammy's big day at the park," Dean said as he started to sit up. "I ruined everything on Mother's Day, because I was bad at listening to Daddy."

"It's okay, buddy," John insured him. "As long as you're okay. You're not hurt real bad, everything's gonna be fine. You think you can go play some more?"

"Can me and Sammy go down the little slide?" Dean asked, still breathing heavily as he sat up completely. "I wanna make sure Sammy has fun at the park."

"He's awake," Mary said looking over at John.

"If they go on the little one Dean can climb up and I can hand him Sam," John agreed. "He knows how to hold him."

"Alright," Mary nodded. "Only one time, and only the little slide. Then I think it's time to go home."

"You should carry me," Dean asked looking up at his dad.

"Alright," John nodded as he stepped closer and picked up his son.

"Can I leave the stroller with you for, like, ten minutes?" Mary asked Joyce.

"Oh, yeah," her friend nodded. "I'm not going anywhere. It's good to see you're okay, Dean."

"I almost made Jamie go first," Dean said sheepishly. "I would be very sad if I broked him."

"Well, no one got hurt real bad," Joyce said smiling. "You'll know better next time, right?"

"Yes, I will," Dean nodded.

"Thanks, Joyce, we'll be right back," Mary said as she removed Sammy from the stroller and the family of four headed back down the hill to the play structure. Off to the side was an area for toddlers, a set swings with leg holes, a big sandbox and small slide. John placed Dean down on the ground and they watched as he climbed the short ladder to the top and sat down, waiting for his little brother. John took Sam from Mary and placed him in Dean's arms.

"Hold him real tight and don't let go," John said. "Hold him right up against you and hold his head still like mom showed you."

"Okay," Dean nodded, doing exactly what he was told. "Are you ready for this Sammy? Slides are most fun you can have."

He used his feet to pull himself right to the edge and slid down holding his brother as tight as he could. At the bottom, he looked down at Sammy who was reaching out of the blanket toward Dean's face.

"Was that fun?" Dean asked him. Sam just grabbed at Dean's nose. "I thinked it was fun. When you get bigger we'll go down slides all the time, and you will have lots of fun."

"You ready to head back, Deano?" John asked.

"I want to go down the slide again," Dean said. "But you said only one time. So I guess so."

"Let's go have lunch sweetie," Mary smiled. "We'll let you rest up."

John took Sammy from Dean and Mary lifted Dean up off the slide. The four gathered the rest of their stuff from the picnic table and headed home for the day. Dean felt like he could walk again by the time they reached the road and held his mother's hand tightly as they walked home.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> John Winchester is a very angry man in this chapter. There is corporal punishment and a very loud argument that turns slightly physical ahead.

After a long hot July day at the garage, there was nothing John needed more that to just relax, have a nice dinner and sit for a little bit. He was looking forward to having Dean climb into his lap, hearing about his day. After the day he had, it would excellent. Customers couldn’t seem to understand that is was impossible for one man to work on four cars at once or the concept of a line. Everyone that walked in that day was annoyed by the heat wave that was hitting its fifth day and patience had worn thin with everyone in the area. John just needed a nice cold beer and some quiet time. Nothing sounded better to him than to sit down in his recliner, watch the news, and have his little boy climb into his lap and tell him about the invisible bad guys he’s taken care of while his wife finished cooking dinner.

Before John even opened the door, he could hear Dean screaming at the top of his lungs.

“You’re a bad mom! The worst! I hate you! I hate you more than everything!”

“Oh, this is gonna be fun,” John sighed shaking his head, those thoughts of a nice relaxing afternoon dissolving as he turned the door knob. John opened the door slowly and kicked off his shoes. His wife was pacing with Sammy, who was sniffling into Mary’s shoulder.

“Hi,” Mary said with a big fake smile on her face. “Welcome to the fun house.”

“What’s going on?” John asked.

“I won’t let Dean jump off the back porch wearing a cape,” Mary smiled. “He told me the cape will make him fly. I told him he was going to kill himself and now I’m the worst mom ever. Sam wants to go to sleep but Dean’s being a brat, so he can’t. That’s why he’s crying. Welcome to an average day.”

“Did you put him in time out?” John asked.

“He’s in time out,” Mary nodded. “He won’t go up to his room, but he will lie in the time out corner and scream at the top of his lungs.”

“Did you try…” John started to ask.

“He’s been screaming like that for an hour,” Mary snapped. “So yeah, I tried it. Just let him scream until he’s hoarse because he’s not stopping otherwise. We just gotta wait it out.”

“It’s loud,” John argued.

“Then by all means put him out on the front yard so the whole neighborhood can hear about what a horrible mother I am because I won’t let my kid break his neck. I mean if it’s really too loud for you.”

“Is dinner ready?” John asked.

“No, John,” Mary sighed. “I’ve been busy. Since Dean’s being obnoxious, I was just planning on ordering something in. I’m too stressed out to try to cook something, and it’s just too hot to stand over a stove.”

“I worked all day I really don’t want to come home to two screaming kids,” John shouted over the screaming. “I just want to sit down and have a nice meal.”

“Well, maybe you should have thought about that before you got me pregnant,” Mary replied. “Because weirdly enough, this is what kids do, and it’s at least six decibels louder in the kitchen. Nothing I do will calm him down. ”

“Can’t you freakin’ control them?” John yelled.

“You go,” Mary said making a vague hand gesture toward the kitchen where Dean was screaming. “See if you can get him to be quiet. Have the time of your life. He’s overtired and cranky. He doesn’t care that Dad had a long day at work and expects the Cleavers when he gets home. Real life ain’t like that. But go, since you know better than I do. I got a baby to deal with before I can deal with Dean.”

Mary turned and headed up the stairs with Sam, who was still sniffling against her shoulder as he tried to fall asleep.

John walked into the kitchen and picked Dean up off the floor by his armpits.

“Get away from me!” Dean screamed. “Don’t touch me I’m mad. No no no!”

John sat down with Dean in his lap and did his best to hold him still.

“What’s wrong?” John asked as calmly as he could.

“I hate Momma!” Dean growled.

“I got that,” John nodded. “Why?”

“She won’t let me fly!” Dean screamed. “I can fly! I had a cape on. I wouldn’t have falled and Momma said no and put me in time out for trying to jump of the stairs. But I know I can fly.”

“You can’t fly, Dean,” John sighed. “Boys can’t fly.”

“Superman can fly!” Dean fought wiggling to try to get out of his dad’s grip. “Acuz he has a cape!”

“Superman is an alien,” John replied. “Spiderman can’t fly.”

“Spiderman doesn’t have a cape!” Dean yelled.

“Batman doesn’t fly,” John nodded. “He doesn’t have any super powers. He wears a cape.”

“I can fly,” Dean growled. “No one will let me try. You’re being a jerk just like Momma. Let me go!”

“Knock it off,” John warned. “You have to stop yelling and fighting.”

“Or what?” Dean spat. “You’re gonna make me go to time out? I’ve been in time out all day! If you send me to my room, I’m just gonna play with me toys. There’s nothing you can do about it!”

“You need me to spank you?” John asked. “Cuz I got no problem doing it. You got a major attitude problem little man. I think it’s about time someone fixed it.”

“I don’t have an attitude problem!” Dean screamed. “You have attitude problem. Momma has fun problem. I hate both of you!” Dean struggled against John’s strong arms trying to get away before biting his father’s hand.

“Son of bi-- look you little shit,” John growled as he spun Dean so he was lying across his lap. “You don’t bite people and you don’t tell you mother you hate her for no reason.”

“I have lots of reasons!” Dean screamed. “You weren’t even here you don’t know. I will bite you if I want! You are being mean to me and I do not like it!”

“I’m giving you one more warning to knock it off,” John said, the anger still very clear in his voice. “Then, I’m gonna spank you. Do you want that?”

“Let go of me!” Dean screamed and wiggled. “You’re stupid, I hate you!”

“You’ve been warned,” John sighed as he pulled his arm back and swatted Dean.

“What are you doing!?” Dean screamed. “Don’t hit me!”

“Then calm down and act like a big boy,” John replied, sending three more slaps to Dean’s behind as he spoke.

Dean’s screams changed to a whimpering. “Stop hitting me,” he said very softly. “Stop hitting me.”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Mary asked as she appeared in the doorway. “Don’t hit my kid.”

“Momma,” Dean whimpered. “Make him stop.”

Mary grabbed Dean away from his husband, holding him close to her.

“I’m sorry,” Dean sniffled. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen and I yelled and I was bad. Don’t let Daddy hit me again.”

“I won’t,” Mary said softly. “It’ll never happen again. I promise. How about you go upstairs to your room? I’ll be up in a little bit.”

“Okay,” Dean nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, baby,” Mary reassured him before placing him gently on the floor. Dean walked behind his mom, keeping her between him and his father then ran up the stairs as quickly as possible. “What the hell is wrong with you?” Mary whispered angrily the second Dean’s door closed.

“He won’t calm down,” John replied. “I warned him, he wouldn’t listen. That’s exactly what would have happened if I was his age and was acting like that. And you can’t look me in the eye and tell me it didn’t happen to you too.”

“And now your son is afraid of you,” Mary argued. “Is that what you want? You want Sammy and Dean to grow up afraid of you? What do you remember of your father? You remember him bending you over his knee? Is that what you want them to remember when they’re grown up?”

“I want them to behave,” John sighed. “If that’s the only way to do it…”

“You’re hitting the boys,” Mary yelled. “Never… you’re not going to lay a hand on either of them ever again.”

“If they need to be kept in line, I’ll do what I need to,” John replied. “Shut Dean right up. Got him to listen. He isn’t screaming on the floor anymore is he?”

“They aren’t soldiers,” Mary pleaded. “They don’t need to be kept in line. They’re little boys. You don’t have to hit little boys to get them to listen! He’s a baby John. You really want to teach him that the only way to get what you want is to hit people?”

“He bit me,” John said standing up.

“So you tell him no and sit him in the corner,” Mary shouted. “Don’t hit my kids. They don’t learn by being terrified that if they step out of line they’re gonna get hit. They learn because we teach them what’s right and wrong. It’s not going to keep Dean from miss behaving, that’s going to keep Dean from misbehaving in front of you. He’s going to grow up afraid if you keep doing that to him. It’s not fair to him. You teach love, John, not anger.”

“Well that’s working real well,” John said rolling his eyes and closing the distance between the two of them. “You got kids screaming all over the place!”

“This was the first time since Dean was a baby that you’ve come home and there was baby crying,” Mary defended. “This is literally the first time since Dean was born besides the three days I was in the hospital after Sam was born that dinner wasn’t on the table when you got home from work. You don’t get to stand there and tell me I’m not doing my job. Because I do what I do all day a whole hell of a lot better than you could ever do. Leave you alone with a crying kid for ten seconds and you beat him.”

John stepped closer to Mary until he was right in her face. “At least I was doing something.”

“You don’t scare me,” Mary smirked. “And God help you John Winchester if you lay a hand on me it will be that last thing you ever do. I’m not one of your soldiers either, John. You aren’t my boss and I don’t have to put up with you. You ever touch my kid like that again you’ll be removing your balls from your throat.”

John did his best to stare her down, breathing heavily out of his nose while refusing to break eye contact.

“Get of my face,” Mary said calming staring right back at him. “You can’t intimidate me. I’ve seen things you’re worst nightmares can’t compare to.”

“Like what?” John laughed. “You've barely left Lawrence your whole life.”

“I don’t have to prove myself to you,” Mary said pushing at John’s chest. “Now get the hell out of my face so I can go check on my kids.”

John shoved Mary back against the wall.

“Get out of my house,” Mary screamed as loud as she could. “Get out of my house!”

“I pay the bills,” John said shaking his head.

“Get out,” Mary growled seriously. “Get the hell out or I will take those boy and you won’t see any of us again.”

“If that’s what you want,” John shook his head as he stepped back as he held his hands in the air. “Fine. I’m gonna go pack a bag, and I’m gone.”

“Don’t even think about talking to Dean,” Mary said, tears stinging the corner of her eyes. “Just get the hell out.”

John nodded and walked up the stairs, Mary right on his heels. While he went into their bedroom to pack a few days’ worth of clothes, she walked into Dean’s room to comfort the sobbing boy curled into a tiny ball on his bed.

“Are you okay, Deano?” Mary asked softly as she lay next to him and rubbed circles on his back.

“You’re mad at Daddy because I’m a bad boy,” Dean whispered.

“No,” Mary replied. “I’m not mad at Daddy because of you. I’m mad at Daddy because of Daddy.”

There was a knock on the door frame. “Can I talk to you?”

“No,” Mary said firmly. “You’ve said everything you have to say, and I don’t want to hear anything else.”

“Mary, let’s try to talk this out,” John sighed. “I didn’t mean…”

“But you did,” Mary interrupted. “You did, and you can’t take it back, and I’m not living with that guy. I didn’t marry an angry horrible human being. Just go.”

“Right,” John nodded. “Okay then, you know where I’ll be if you want me,” John turned and walked away, duffle bag in hand.

Mary sat there doing her best to comfort Dean as she heard John walk down the stairs and out the front door.

“Is Daddy gone forever?” Dean mumbled, rolling over to look up at his mom with his big green eyes.

“No,” Mary said shaking her head. “And you don’t gotta worry about it.”

“Do I have to go to work now?” Dean asked seriously. “Daddy said that if he’s not here, I’m the man of the house. I have to take care of you if Daddy’s not home.”

“No, baby, no,” Mary ran her fingers through Dean’s hair. “You don’t have to worry about anything like that. Never, ever. You just focus on being four years old and learning how to read and write so we can be the smartest boy in kindergarten next fall.”

“I can do that,” Dean smiled. “I’m sorry I yelled like a baby. I won’t try to jump off the stairs again. I might get hurted like I did at the playground. That hurted a lot. I just wanted to try one time, but it might be a bad idea. Daddy said that Batman, he’s my favorite, he can’t fly even though he has a cape. So maybe I can’t fly.”

“I just don’t want you to get hurt,” Mary said pulling Dean close to her. “You can play superheroes all you want, but I don’t want you to jump off things. The last thing Mom wants in the whole world is for you to get hurt.”

“I understand,” Dean nodded. “I’m sorry Daddy was mean to you. I could hear you yelling. Daddy had his really mad voice.”

“You don’t have to worry about it,” Mary said squeezing Dean tight. “You shouldn’t have to worry about it. You just remember that both me and Daddy love you and your brother more than anything in the world, and nothing is going to change that ever. Not ever if me and him are fighting. It has nothing to do with you. Understand?”

Dean nodded, although Mary could tell he didn’t really understand; he was too little to understand. All he knew was his parents were yelling, and as far as he was concerned, it was all because of him.

“Alright, baby,” Mary said forcing a smile. “You gotta be starving. What do you want for dinner?”

“Can I have cheese pizza?” Dean whispered.

“You want me to order pizza?” Mary chuckled.

“Yeah,” Dean nodded. “I do.”

“Alright,” Mary smiled. “I guess so. But this is not a reward because you were awful all day. This is because Mom’s lazy and doesn’t want to cook anything tonight. You’re still in trouble for throwing that big tantrum. You’re usually such a good boy. I want that boy to come down for dinner when I call him, but until then, you are to say up here in time out. No playing with your toys. You just sit here and think about what would be a better way to deal things than just yelling and screaming.”

“Yes, Momma,” Dean nodded. “I’ll be a very good boy from now on.”

“That’s my baby,” Mary smiled running her finger though his hair. “How about after dinner we work on writing your letters and you can right Daddy an ‘I’m sorry’ card for biting him?”

“Okay,” Dean nodded. “I bit him really hard. He was being kinda mean.”

“He was trying to get you to calm down,” Mary explained. “He shouldn’t have hit you, but you need to listen when Mom and Dad tell you things. We’ve both told you that a million times. You have to keep your ears open and listen to us.”

“I will be a better boy,” Dean nodded. “Sammy will learn how to be a big boy from watching me, that’s what Nana said, and I would be sad if he was mean to you and Daddy like I was.”

“That’s right,” Mary smiled, standing up. “You have to be a better example, and I know you’re a good boy if you want to be. So I’m gonna go order dinner. I’ll call you down when it gets here.”

Dean looked up at her and nodded. She did her best to smile as she walked from the room. She had to figure out what she was going to do about her marriage. There was a man that she loved more than she thought was possible and two boys that needed a dad. Before that moment of anger in the kitchen he’s never done anything like that before. Maybe they just needed a few days apart to settle and reset, things had been very stressful since Sam was born, nothing as easy as it had been. She knew they’d figure it out. If any couple could survive it was them. She just had to figure out how to move passed seeing a side of her husband she’s never seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter of this may not be up for two weeks. I have school work I have to put in front of this for right now.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of this chapter has dialogue taken directly from Episode 5.16 Dark Side of the Moon

Two days passed after the fight without a word from John. Mary knew he was trying to do what he thought she wanted, but his absence was wearing on Dean. He asked about when Dad was coming back several times and Mary was starting to feel guilty that she didn’t have an answer. The afternoon of the second day, Mary took her boys next door to the home of Dean’s arch nemesis, Elizabeth, and Mary’s friend since middle school, Karen. Dean was in the basement where it was ten degrees cooler than the rest of the house, where he was no doubt being tormented by the older girl. 

“I think you may have over reacted,” Karen said honestly after Mary explained what had happened in her kitchen.

“You think?” Mary sighed. “I mean, maybe. I don’t want us spanking the boys. Dean’s smart enough to know how to push buttons. That’s what he was doing. He thinks if he can wear me down I’ll give in, but I’m not gonna let him jump off things and break his neck.”

“Oh, no, I understand that part,” Karen smiled sipping her ice tea. “And I think you totally did the right thing after he pushed you. I would have done the same thing to Tony if he ever put his hands on me. But I think the situation got way out of hand and could have been handled better. With this heat, and two little kids and life, stress happens. But I think you freaked about nothing. If you came down stairs and John was, like, hitting Dean, like beating him up, that would be different. A couple swats on the butt isn’t going to hurt anything. Maybe it’s just what he needed to realize he’s not running the show. Dean’s a good kid most of the time, he’s sweet and thoughtful, but that one percent when he’s a little jerk he has to learn that you’re not going to put up with it. Maybe that’s what he needs to learn that Mom and Dad aren’t going to put up with being a brat.”

“Right,” Mary nodded. “That makes sense. Now I just gotta figure out what to do about John.”

“Call the shop and tell him to get his butt back home,” Karen chuckled. 

“He thinks I want space,” Mary said shaking her head.

“Do you?” Karen asked. 

“No,” Mary said, huffing a laugh. “I mean I didn’t expect him to be gone for two days. I expected him gone for the night. I expected him home for dinner yesterday.”

“Call him when you go home,” Karen told her. “You know he’s at the shop, call him and tell him you’re sorry, being home with two kids all day in stressful. You overreacted and you want him to come home so you can talk like adults.”

Mary nodded and sighed. “I’m glad you live next door. It’s a blessing. I’d go insane without you, I swear.”

“An outsider’s perspective is important sometimes,” Karen smiled as she brushed a piece of hair out of Mary’s face.

“Mom!” came a voice from downstairs followed by the sound of two children running up stairs.

“Did he pull her hair?” Mary chuckled.

“Or did she make him wear a dress?” Karen smiled as the two children ran up the stairs, Dean throwing himself at his mother.

“Guess what?” Dean smiled showing Mary a robot toy with a big smile on his face.

“What’s that kiddo?” Mary asked. “Where’d you get it?”

“It’s Optimus Prime,” Dean explained. “He turns into a fire truck and he’s a robot alien.”

“Oh,” Mary nodded. 

“I traded,” Dean smiled. “Not take backs.”

“What did you trade for?” Karen asked Elizabeth, who was standing across the room looking a little bit too proud of herself.

“Dean,” Mary said taking his hands in hers and looking him in the eye. “What did you trade? You didn’t bring any toys with you.”

“You might have to leave Sam here,” Dean said softly. 

It took a lot as Mary looked over to Karen to not start laughing. “You traded your little brother for toy?”

“A robot that turns into a fire truck,” Dean correct. “Sam doesn’t turn into a fire truck. He’s no fun.”

“You can’t trade your brother for a toy,” Mary smirked. 

“No take backs,” Elizabeth said side stepping toward Sam, who was asleep in his car seat by Mary’s feet.

“I pinky promised,” Dean explained. “You can’t break a pinky promise.”

“Sam’s not a doll, Lizzie,” Karen said seriously. “He’s not a Cabbage Patch Doll. You gotta feed him and change him and rock him to sleep when he cries.”

“I know,” Elizabeth smiled. “I can take care of him. I’ll be a good big sister.”

“Okay,” Mary replied. “How about you go wash your hands and I’ll let you hold him. We’ll see how you like it.”

Elizabeth nodded excitedly and took off toward the bathroom. 

“Listen, kiddo,” Mary said pulling Dean up into her lap while he played with the robot. “You can’t trade your brother for things. He could get really hurt. Okay? Something bad could happen.”

“He could get cooties,” Dean nodded. “Then if he came home everyone would get cooties that would be bad.”

“Or something even worse,” Mary explained. “No more trading Sammy for toys. No matter how cool they are.”

“We don’t have to worry about it,” Dean smiled turning to his mom. “Because now he belongs to Elizabeth!”

“We’ll see,” Mary sighed placing Dean back on the floor as Elizabeth came running back in.

“No take backs,” Dean reminded her. “I pinky promised.”

Elizabeth pulled herself up onto the couch between the two women and waited. Mary took a sleeping Sam out of his seat and placed him in her waiting hands.

“You have to hold his head or it will fall off,” Dean said quickly when he noticed that Elizabeth wasn’t supporting Sam’s head like his mom always told him to.

“That’s not how it works,” Elizabeth snapped back. “I can hold him without your help. I know how to do it. I hold my baby dolls all the time.”

“You’re gonna break him!” Dean yelled. “I didn’t rip off Optimus Prime’s head. Don’t break Sam. I love him very much. Momma, she’s gonna break him!”

“Lizzie,” Karen said reached over maneuver Sam so that he was lay across Elizabeth’s lap instead of against shoulder so he was better supported. “Dean’s right, you gotta hold his head. A real baby isn’t like a doll, I told you that.”

Sam started to wiggle a little as he woke up. He stretched his little arms and looked up at the stranger holding him. He blinked a few times, then started sniffle, pressing his little fist toward Elizabeth’s face as she leaned in.

“He doesn’t like you either,” Dean pointed out. “I teached him real good.”

“Dean,” Mary sighed. “Just let her hold Sam.”

“She’s going to break my brother,” Dean protested as Sam started to cry. “I wouldn’t have given him to her and I thinked she was gonna break him. She has lots of dolls. I thinked she’d know how to hold him so he doesn’t get broken.”

“It’s okay, Dean,” Karen said taking Sam away from Elizabeth. “No one is going to let her hurt your brother, not even a little bit.”

“No, give him back!” Elizabeth yelled kicking her feet.

“Elizabeth,” Karen scowled as she stood up to place the fussy baby back in his mother’s arms. He blinked up at Mary and stopped crying almost immediately. “You can’t trade people for toys. That’s not how to world works.”

“But he pinkie promised that I could keep him,” Elizabeth argued. “I traded my robot toy!”

“I think you can have Optimus Prime back,” Dean nodded as he held the toy up to her sideways. “I want to have Sam back. You’ll break him.”

“No take backs,” Elizabeth smiled wickedly. “Too late. Sam is mine.”

“No, Lizzie,” Karen said shaking her head. “Miss Mary will let you hold him sometimes if you’re on your best behavior, but you can’t have him. You can’t keep Sam. He’s not yours. Dean’s going to give you back your robot.”

“But I want a baby brother,” Elizabeth huffed. “Dean has a baby brother. Alexa has a baby brother, that’s all my friends.”

“You don’t get the make that decision,” Karen tried to explain. 

“Mommies and Daddies have to,” Dean nodded. “They go to the store and pick him out and then they grow in the mom. That’s how I got Sam.”

“Right,” Mary nodded. 

“I don’t want to give him back,” Elizabeth pouted. “He’s my brother now.”

“Sweetheart,” Mary said sweetly. “You can’t have Sam. I’m really sorry.”

“I told you my mom would be mad,” Dean continued. “I telled you it was a bad idea to trade, but you wanted to anyway.”

“You pinkie promised,” Elizabeth 

“You can visit him,” Dean said softly. “If you want. But you have to learn to hold him right.”

Elizabeth crossed her arms across her chest. “It’s not fair.”

“Maybe one day you’ll get a little brother or sister,” Karen smiled as she played with Elizabeth’s hair. “But not right now, not for a while.”

“It’s not fair,” Elizabeth pouted. 

“Life’s not fair, sweetie,” Karen sighed. “You can’t trade a toy for a little brother, and you have to give Sam back to him mom and Dean. He’s not yours. But Dean said you can play with him at his house or when they come to visit.”

Dean nodded and smiled. “I told you it wouldn’t work.”

“I really want a baby brother,” Elizabeth sighed. 

“Maybe someday after you learn how not to break them,” Dean said. “Let’s go back downstairs and play.”

“I guess,” Elizabeth answered as she slid off the couch. “It’s my turn to pick the game.”

“It’s always your turn to pick the game,” Dean whined as he followed her back down the stairs.

“Well,” Karen nodded. “That was interesting.”

Mary laughed loudly letting her head fall backward against the couch. 

 

That night, long after bedtime, Mary sat in bed reading Christine when there was a soft knock on the door.

“What is it Dean?” Mary said rolling her eyes.

“Can I come in?” Dean yelled.

“Yes, Dean,” Mary chuckled. “Come on in.”

“Momma,” Dean said, walking up to the side of the bed dragging a teddy bear behind him. “I think I should sleep in your bed.”

“You do?” Mary asked placing her book on the side table. “Why is that?”

“Well I was thinking,” Dean said taking a deep breath. “Usually Daddy sleeps in your bed, cuz it’s really big.”

“Mmhmm,” Mary nodded.

“So I thinked, that your bed is lonely,” Dean continued. “And that you need company. So me and Bear we decided to come keep you company.”

“Well, that’s very thoughtful of you,” Mary smiled. 

“I’m very thoughtful,” Dean nodded. “Can I sleep in your bed?”

“Sure,” Mary smiled. “I don’t see why not. But Sammy’s gonna cry in the middle of the night. I can hear it on the monitor. I gotta get up and get him when he does.”

“No problem,” Dean said as he did his best to climb up onto the big bed. “I’ll just sleep, though.”

Dean placed his head on his mother’s shoulder.

“Are you okay, Buddy?”’ Mary asked running her fingers through his hair.

“I just miss Daddy,” Dean yawned. “I want him to come home.”

“Me too,” Mary replied. “I’m going to call him again in the morning and talk to him.”

“You tell him I’m sorry for being bad?” Dean asked. “Tell him I’ll never ever be bad ever again?”

“Deano,” Mary said seriously. “Daddy’s not mad at you. He didn’t leave because of anything you did. I want you to remember that.”

“He telled me one time that he would always kiss me good night,” Dean told her. “Because his Daddy didn’t, cuz he goed away. But forgetted that he telled me that. And now he’s gone forever.”

Mary’s heart broke listening to her little boy miss his dad. She knew how much it hurt to think you’d never see your father again; how it felt to know it was all your fault, but she was an adult when she lost her parents. She knew the choices she was making when she made them. She couldn’t imagine how much it must crush her little boy to feel all of that.

“He’s not gone forever,” Mary replied seriously. “He’ll be back. He’ll be home really soon. I promise, okay?”

“Can you promise me another thing?” Dean whispered.

“Anything, sweetheart,” Mary replied.

“You’re not gonna go away,” Dean mumbled as he pushed himself as close to her as he possibly could. “You can’t go away from me never ever. Even if I’m a grown up. I don’t want you to go away.”

“Dean,” Mary said seriously. “It’s gonna take an act of God to get me to leave you. Nothing will ever come between me and my boys. And when Daddy comes home, nothing is ever going to make him leave you again either. Me and Daddy are going to fix what Momma broke. You’re never gonna have to worry about it ever again.”

“Okay,” Dean smiled. He wrapped his arms around hers and yawned softly. “When Daddy comes home, do you think we can go fishing?”

“I don’t see why not,” Mary answered. “You got that new fishing rod for Christmas you haven’t used yet.”

“Next time it rains,” Dean said sleepily. “I’m gonna dig up lots of worms to go fishing. Then we can catch lots of fish. It will be the best time.”

“I’m sure your Daddy would love that,” Mary smiled. “Now go to sleep, kiddo. I’ll talk to you more in the morning.”

“Okay,” Dean said finally closing his eyes and falling to sleep.

For a long while she just watched him sleep, teddy bear tucked under his arm. It wasn’t until Sam started to fuss through the monitor that her trance broke.

 

While Dean ate breakfast, Mary spoke to John on the phone across the room. Dean tried not to listen, but it was hard not to when his mom was getting upset.

“Just come home,” Mary pleaded. “We can work this out… for the boys… Dean misses you much. He’s… John, seriously… I want to talk to you face to face. It’s only… Stop... Stop making this about you, John. It’s not about that anymore… come home… Fine… Call me later then since your job is so much more important than your family.”

Mary slammed the phone back down onto the hook and leaned against the wall doing her best not to cry.

“Are you okay, Momma?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, Dean, I’m fine,” Mary smiled weakly. 

“Do you want me to sing the Sad Song to you?” Dean asked. “Make you feel better?”

“What sad song?” Mary asked walking across the room and sitting next to him. 

“The Sad Song,” Dean explained. “The one you sing when I’m sad and can’t sleep.”

“Hey Jude?” Mary chuckled. 

“I don’t know,” Dean shrugged. “It goes ‘I’ll sing the sad song til you feel better.’ Those are the words.”

“Not really,” Mary smiled. “But you’re close. Finish up your breakfast. I’ll play some music while we play for a while until Sammy wakes up again.”

“That sounds like fun,” Dean smiled. “Are we gonna learn stuff?”

“You want to learn some more words and letter?” Mary asked.

Dean nodded excitedly. “Yeah. So I can read to Sammy when you are busy.”

“You like Sam again?” Mary laughed. 

“I didn’t not like Sam,” Dean explained. “I just wanted a robot, and it was Elizabeth’s idea to trade.”

“I don’t doubt that for a moment,” Mary smiled. “Finish up, put your bowl in the sink and I’ll get the workbooks.”

“Yes, Momma,” Dean nodded as Mary stood up and walked away.

 

After Sammy woke up, Mary sent Dean upstairs for a while. He’d gotten a pretty cool Hot Wheels set so he sat on the floor playing with that, letting the cars spin around again and again with a big smile on this face. He couldn’t wait until the next time Jamie and Brandon came over so he could show them. 

“Dean…” Mary called leaning into his room. “Hey Dean are you hungry.”

Dean nodded before putting his cars away and running down the stairs in front of her.

“I’m very hungry,” Dean told her as he sat at the kitchen table in front of a peanut butter and jelly. 

“You want me to cut the crusts off?” Mary asked as she poured him a glass of milk.

“Yes please,” Dean nodded. “I would like that very much.”

Mary did so then kissed Dean on the top of the head as the phone started to ring. 

Dean turned in his chair, sandwich in hand to watch him mom. He knew it had to be his dad on the other side of the phone by the way Mary’s body changed after she said hello.

“No, John,” Mary sighed. “We’re not having this conversation again… Think about what? ...You’ve got two boys at home…”

Dean wanted his Dad to come home more than anything; he didn’t like how his mom was so sad. 

“Fine,” Mary sighed into the phone. “Then don’t. There’s nothing more to talk about.”

Dean placed his half eaten sandwich back on his plate and walked over to his mom.

“You get to explain it to Dean,” Mary said her voice breaking. “You get to explain to him that you’re so mad at me about something stupid that you can’t come home again. I’m not doing it.” She hung up the phone with a slam and took a deep breath to keep from crying.

Dean wrapped his arms tightly around her legs and looked up at her. “It’s okay Momma, Daddy still love you, I love you, too. I’ll never leave you.”

“You’re my little angel,” Mary smiled a little too brightly, cupping the little boy’s face. “Did you finish your sandwich, you want some pie?”

Dean nodded as Mary let go of his cheeks. He climbed back up into the chair and ate the rest of the sandwich while Mary prepared him a piece of pie.

“I was thinking,” Dean said as his mom sat across from him with her own piece of pie. “What if me and you and maybe Sam even though he can’t go anything, we maked Daddy’s favorite dinner?”

“Why?” Mary asked.

“Acuz Daddy will smell it,” Dean explained. “And then he will come home and he will eat it and he will remember why he loves it here with me and you and maybe Sam.”

“Why don’t you like Sammy?” Mary asked chuckling.

“I like him,” Dean defended. “He’s just no fun.”

“He’ll be fun soon,” Mary promised. 

“You keep saying that,” Dean huffed shoveling pie into his mouth. “But it’s been days and days and he’s still no fun.”

“Chew,” Mary sighed. “Swallow, then talk. It’s not that hard to remember that.”

“You keep asking me questions when I have food in my mouth,” Dean huffed crossing his arms across his chest. 

“Maybe I’m testing your ability to remember not to talk with your mouth full.”

“Maybe you’re tricking me,” Dean pouted. 

“Don’t be a brat,” Mary said shaking her head. “When you’re all done, how about you help me give Sammy some lunch. You can sit in my lap and give him a bottle?”

“I guess,” Dean shrugged. “I want to like Sam more, but it’s hard when doesn’t do nothing. I want to play with him. But I thinked you thinked I will hurt him. I won’t. I’ll be gentle.”

“We’ll work something out so you can play with Sam,” Mary nodded. “Maybe I’ll lay him on the floor for a bit and you help him play with his toys.”

Dean nodded and smiled as he finished his pie. Mary dropped her plate in the sink and went into the living room to get Sam out of his play pen. 

“Whenever you’re ready kiddo,” Mary called. “Put your plate in the sink and grab a bottle from the fridge.”

Dean ran from the kitchen to the living room with the bottle in hand. Mary maneuvered herself and Sam around so Dean could fit between them. Sam squirmed and smiled at them, pressing his fist into Dean’s face a little.

“I don’t think he likes very much,” Dean said softly. “He hits me a lot.”

“He likes you just fine,” Mary insured him. “He hits me all the time too, and throws up on me and all sorts of other gross stuff like that. That’s how baby’s show love.”

“I don’t want him to throw up on me that’s gross,” Dean replied shaking his head. 

“If you do this right,” Mary explained showing Dean how to hold the bottle. “They you don’t have to worry about spit up or anything like that.”

Dean nodded and did exactly as his mom told him; making sure the bottle didn’t drift too far down and humming softly as he watched his little brother.

“He’s kinda cute,” Dean decided when Mary took the bottle away. 

“You gotta slide down, Deano, I gotta burp him,” Mary explained. 

Dean slid down, sat on the floor and looked up at his mom with a very confused look on his face. 

“He doesn’t even know how to burp?” Dean asked skeptically. “Everyone knows how to burp. I can burp right now!”

“Don’t,” Mary warned as she placed Sammy against her shoulder. “Don’t be gross.”

“Can I teach Sammy to burp?” Dean asked. 

“When he’s bigger,” Mary sighed. “Yeah.”

“That’s gonna be the first thing I teach him,” Dean said excitedly. “Cuz it’s real important.”

“That’s… that’s awesome,” Mary said shaking her head. “I can’t wait for that to happen.”

“I’m gonna start plannin’ all the stuff I gotta teach Sam,” Dean said, a huge smile growing across his face. “I gotta teach how to talk and how to roll over and how to burp and how walk and how to read stories and how swing on the swings and the best hide and seek places.”

“That sounds a lot of stuff,” Mary nodded as she patted Sam on the back. 

“Yeah,” Dean nodded. “He better start growing up soon. We got a lot to do.”

Mary laughed as Sam started to make noises again. “I’m gonna lay him down on the floor. Be very careful around him, but you can play with him. Watch his fingers and if he starts fussing, you call me. I’m gonna go switch the laundry. Think you can handle it?”

“I think so,” Dean nodded. “I get to put my big brother skills to the test.”

“Right,” Mary said placing Sam on the floor. “Don’t let him put anything in his mouth.” She walked to the play pen and pulled out the toy that went Sam’s head. “Pull on the different parts of this. They play music and light up. Sam really likes that. Do not leave this room until I get back.”

“Okay,” Dean agreed. “I’ll be real good.”

“I’ll be back in five minutes, at the most,” Mary said. “Make be proud, Dean.” 

As Mary walked away, Dean lay on his stomach next to his brother and pulled on the butterflies down. Sam kicked and reached up for it.

“You like this toy, Sammy?” Dean asked. “Momma said I had a toy like this when I was baby and I really liked it. I wish you could play on the playground with me. You’d have a lotta fun. The most fun.”

Sam reached toward Dean as the butterfly’s song stopped play, so Dean pulled down the next piece, one that lit up in different colors.

“I’m sorry I tried to trade you away,” Dean whispered leaning in real close. “I didn’t mean to really give you away. I like you a little bit, but Elizabeth is kinda bossy and she made me.   
I’m glad Momma got you back, though. I’d be very sad if she got to keep you and breaked you. I think Momma thinks I don’t like you, but I do. You’re just kinda weird. I want you to be bigger, but it hard to wait. I’m excited to teach you stuff. You want to learn stuff?”

Sam wiggled a little bit as Dean pushed the little mirror in the middle of Sam’s toy back and forth. 

“Yeah,” Dean said softly. “I’ll teach you all sorts of stuff. You’ll be real smart.” Dean kissed Sam on the forehead before rolling onto his back and looking at Sam’s toy with his brother. 

Mary stood in the doorway with the clean laundry watching her boys. Suddenly she felt that everything was going to be okay. It didn’t matter of John came home or stayed at the shop forever, everything would work out. She had her boys, her beautiful little boys and nothing was ever going to stand in the way of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in the course of writing this, I discovered that the Transformers started in 1984, not 1983. But I’ve mentioned in several stories that Dean traded Sammy for a Transformer but Mary stopped it. So I’m sorry for this continuity error and poor research.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning, Mary awoke with Dean pressed tightly against her again. He hadn't asked if he could join her last night. He just snuck in after she'd fallen asleep and snuggled against her. He was hiding it well, and although he asked about John very often Mary knew that he was missing his daddy a lot more than he was letting on. He hadn't climbed into bed with her for a long time. And there was no talk about monsters under his bed or in the closet or nightmares like most of the times before. She was dealing with a stubborn man, she knew that when she married him, it was so out of character for him to just give up. Their marriage wasn't something she'd ever be ready to just let go of. She'd work too hard making sure she was doing everything right. She wanted her fairytale. She wanted her two little boys to grow up with a dad. She knew John wanted that too. He wanted his boys to grow up knowing they were loved. It felt stupid to let a silly fight get in the way of their happily ever after. Mary knew it was still within reach, she just had to show John that it was still there.

"Good morning baby boy," Mary whispered playing with Dean's hair. "It's time to get up. Time for the day to start."

"One more minute," Dean mumbled.

"Alright," Mary nodded. "I'm gonna go get your brother and start breakfast. I'll meet you down there."

"One more minute," Dean said again rolling over and snuggling his bear against his face.

Mary collected Sam and brought him down to the kitchen. She placed on the chair that she used to bathe him and placed him next to the fridge while she cooked eggs and bacon. She didn't like leaving him in the other room when there was no one else around, and it looked like Sam enjoyed watching her cook.

Dean came down right as she was finishing up the last of the toast, and climbed up into his chair.

"Ready for breakfast?" Mary asked placing the plate in front of him.

"Always ready," Dean nodded. "Breakfast is important."

"What do you want to do today, kiddo?" Mary asked as she picked up Sam and brought him over to the table with her own plate of breakfast.

Dean placed his fork down and looked at his mom. "I think we should do more numbers today. And then I can play outside for a little bit."

"You liked working with numbers?" Mary smiled. She had started to teach him simple addition a few days earlier.

"It's really hard," Dean replied. "But I like it."

"How about for lunch we make a picnic?"

"Like Yogi Bear?" Dean asked excitedly picking his fork back up.

"Yes, exactly like that," Mary nodded. "I was thinking we can bring it over to Daddy's work and we can have lunch with him. I know you miss him."

"I would like that very much," Dean agreed with a mouth full of eggs.

Mary sighed and shook her head, eating her breakfast with her boys.

 

"Can I help make the sandwiches?" Dean asked pushing a chair across the kitchen toward his mother. "I'm a good helper."

"I know you are," Mary smiled. "But why don't you go get the picnic basket out of the hallway closet? It's on the bottom shelf."

"Okay!" Dean agreed and ran off.

He opened the closet door where they kept the winter coats. He noticed that his dad's big leather coat had fallen to the floor. Dean did his best to get it back up on it's hook but it was too high for him, so he decided that he would bring it to his mom so she could hang it back up. He grabbed the picnic basket, but quickly realized that he couldn't carry the basket and the jacket. He thought about his options for a moment, then decided to put the jacket on and carry the basket. It was just easier that way. He slipped his arms though the sleeves, his arms not even making it halfway down the sleeve, the bottom dragging on the floor as he walked back into the kitchen with the basket.

"Here you go," Dean smiled, placing the basket on the chair he has pushed across the kitchen. "I getted it."

"That you very much," Mary nodded turning to look at him. "What are you doing?"

"What?" Dean shrugged. "I getted the basket."

"Why are you wearing Daddy's big coat it's hot out?"

"It falled on the floor," Dean explained. "I can't reach the high hooks, so I bringed it to you so you can do it."

Mary pulled her son close to her side in a little bit of a sideways hug. Dean looked so small in that jacket, but so adorable.

"You ready to head out?" she asked softly.

"I gotta put my shoes on," Dean nodded. "Is Sam coming?"

"Yes, Sam's coming, we can't just leave him here," Mary chuckled.

"We can," Dean replied. "No one will know. Sam won't even know."

"We're bringing Sam," Mary said sternly. "We can't leave a little baby at home all by himself."

"Why?" Dean asked looked up at her wide-eyed.

"Because I said so," Mary answered. "Give me that jacket, go put on your shoes while I get the baby stuff so all three of us can go surprise Daddy at work."

"Are we walking there?" Dean asked, slipping out of the coat.

"Yes," Mary nodded. "It's just a little bit further than the park. Not that far at all."

"Will you carry me?" Dean asked.

"No, you can walk," Mary replied. "You're a big boy remember, and I gotta carry Sam, Sam's bag and the picnic basket."

"That's why I thinked we should leave Sam here," Dean explained.

"So I can carry you?" Mary smirked.

Dean nodded. "It's easier for you to carry me when Sam is not there."

Mary knelt so she could look Dean right in the eye. "We're taking Sammy with us. We're keeping him. Sam's staying. We're not getting rid of him."

Dean huffed a big sigh.

"I thought you liked being a big brother?" Mary asked.

"I would like it a lot more if he did things," Dean sighed crossing his arms. "I like him, but I can only like him so much when doesn't play with me."

"Just a little bit longer," Mary promised. "He has to be just a little bigger before you can do things with him. I promise, really soon."

"He gets in the way of Dean and Mom time," Dean complained.

"We had a good time this morning," Mary replied placing a hand on Dean's cheek.

"But Sam was right there," Dean pouted. "Just sitting there, in not even a real chair, on the table, doing nothing. I don't get to sit on the table."

"Dean," Mary said. "Listen, Sam's not going anywhere, and everything he's doing, you did when you were a baby. It will all be even when he gets bigger. Right now, I still gotta do everything for Sammy. You can do a lot of things for yourself. I've explained this to you a whole bunch of times. You can be a good big brother if you stop trying to get rid of Sam. Now, go put your shoes on so we can head out."

"But!" Dean whined stomping his foot. "I don't want Sam to go!"

"Too bad," Mary replied. "Go put your shoes on."

"You're the worst," Dean huffed crossing his arms across his chest and running off.

"I know," Mary sighed to herself. "Worst mom ever, refusing to leave an infant in a playpen alone in a house for hours."

When Mary got her boys situated, Sam in his baby backpack strapped to her, diaper bag over her shoulder, picnic basket in one hand, Dean's calm hand in the other, they headed out for the fifteen minute walk to the shop John owned.

Twenty minutes later they were about halfway there, since Dean had to stop to touch dandelions and throw rocks.

"Look a puppy!" Dean yelled dropping Mary's hand and running toward it.

"Dean, come back here, leave the dog alone," Mary called after him.

"I can pet it one time," Dean told her.

"No, you may not, come back here and hold my hand," Mary scowled.

"I want to pet the puppy!" Dean screamed.

"We don't know whose dog that is, you cannot pet a strangers dog," Mary explained. "Get over here, now."

"No!" Dean yelled stomping his foot. "Why are you so mean to me today! I just want to pet the dog."

"Stop being a brat, and get over here now."

"I will not!" Dean yelled as he turned on his heel and ran off down the street and around the corner.

"Son of b-" Mary sighed under her breath. "What are you gonna do about your big brother, Sammy?" She walked to the corner of the street, expecting to see Dean standing there waiting for her, but the road was deserted. No trace of her little boy anywhere.

"DEAN!" she screamed at the top of her lungs causing the few people standing in the yards to turn to look at her, but no sign of Dean.

 

John felt something hit him in the leg as he worked on Mr. Harrison's old Ford. He looked down to see a mop of blond hair hugging him.

"Hey, Dean," John said confused. "Where's your mom."

"I ran away from her," Dean mumbled into John's coveralls. "She's mean to me."

John leaned down and picked up the boy. "What do you mean she was mean to you?"

"First, she likes Sam more than me," Dean started. "Then she said that Sam had to come with us, even though he can't even eat sandwiches. And then she wouldn't let me pet the puppy."

"Dean," John said seriously. "We've talked about this before. You can't just run off when you think mom's being mean to you."

"You did," Dean replied looking up at his father with his big green eyes. "So I comed here to live with you."

"Oh, kiddo," John sighed hugging Dean close, leaving big greasy hand prints on the back of his shirt. "Your mother is going to kill me."

"Can I help you work?" Dean asked. "I'm a really good helper. I like helping you with the cars."

"I don't think it's a good idea to have you out here," John replied. "But you can help me work on the big car at home. How about we bring you into the office with Angie until your mom gets here."

"I can help her?" Dean asked.

"We'll see," John nodded placing Dean back on the floor and taking his hand. They climbed the short staircase to the windowed office that overlooked the garage where a redheaded woman was sitting behind a desk reading a magazine. "Hey Angie, can you watch him til his mom gets here?"

"This isn't a daycare," Angie sighed. "I'm not a babysitter."

"You're not much of a receptionist either," John answered. "Watch the kid for minute."

"Sure whatever," Angie shrugged.

"Make sure he doesn't kill himself," John barked.

"Maybe his parents should have thought about that before they dropped him off at a garage," Angie sighed.

"He's my kid," John said rolling his eyes. "Just do what I ask. His mom will be here in a minute. I got work to finish. It would be nice if you did the invoices like I asked you to do yesterday, since it's part of you job instead of reading a magazine."

"Yeah okay," Angie shrugged as the phone started to ring. "G and W Garage this is Angela."

"Behave, okay," John said to Dean. "Sit in that chair and wait here for mom. Don't bother Angie while she's on the phone. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Okay Daddy," Dean nodded as he let go of John's hand and climbed into the chair next to the door.

John turned and walked out to stand in front of the building to wait for his no doubt frantic wife to show up.

When Angie hung up the phone, Dean started to ask her questions."What's your name, I'm Dean Winchester."

"Angela."

"That's pretty I like it," Dean smiled. "What do you do? Maybe I can help. I'm a good helper."

"I have to answer the phone and fill out paperwork," Angie answered. "I don't think it's anything you can do."

"I can write letters," Dean nodded. "I'm very good at it. My mom says so."

"I don't think your dad would like it too much if his work orders were filled out in crayon," Angie smirked. "So just sit there and wait."

"I called on a phone one time," Dean continued. "I called my dad and telled him that my brother was being borned."

"I answered that phone call," Angie sighed, clearly annoyed.

"Do not like little kids?" Dean asked. "You seem mad at me."

"I'm not really a big fan of kids, no," Angie said shaking her head as she picked up the magazine again.

"Okay," Dean replied kicking his feet back and forth. "I'm a good kid though."

"I'm sure you are," Angie nodded. "That's why you randomly showed up with no parents."

"I ran away because my mom is mean," Dean explained.

"Oh, right," Angie said rolling her eyes. "I got work to do, so just be quiet."

"Okay," Dean mumbled, looking down at the floor.

 

Outside, Mary appeared on the corner of the property looking frantic.

"Someone took my baby!" she screamed going as fast as she could with her arms full and Sam on her back. "John, someone took Dean. He's gone."

"If anyone took him, they'd give in back in twenty minutes," John joked.

"This isn't funny," Mary cried. "He took off because I told him he couldn't pet some strange dog and now he's gone. He's gone forever and the last thing I did was yell at him."

"He's not gone," John started.

"Yes he is!" Mary shouted. "He's gone! We have to find him!"

"Mary, calm down," John said, taking the basket from her hands and placing it on the ground. He places his hands on either side of her face and wiped away her tears. "Breathe, it's okay."

"My baby," Mary said as she started hyperventilating.

"Is in the office with Angie," John smirked. "He wandered up about five minutes ago."

"He's here?" Mary said trying to even out here breathing.

"Yes," John nodded. "Dean's here. He's fine. It's okay. He's not gone."

"He's here," Mary repeated starting to breathe normal again. "He's not gone."

"No," John answered pressing his forehead to her's. "He's here. It'll be okay. No one took him."

"Where is he?" Mary asked softly.

"Up in Angie's office," John replied. "Go ahead."

"You take Sammy?"

John took Sam out of his baby backpack. Mary tossed it on the ground then took off running toward the building.

 

The door to Angie's office flew open without warning, revealing a frantic looking Mary rushing toward Dean. She scooped him out of the chair and held him as close as she could.

"Hi," Dean said.

"Never do that to me again," Mary scowled.

"What did I do?" Dean asked innocently.

Mary pushed away so she could look Dean right in the eye. "Never run away from me while we're walking somewhere every again. I thought someone stole you."

"Nope," Dean shrugged. "I just goed to Daddy."

"You have no idea how much you scared me," Mary continued. "Never ever do that to me or Daddy or anyone else ever again. You stay where I can see you always. I don't know what I would do if I lost you."

"I didn't get lost," Dean said pressing his eyebrows together. "I knowed where I was. We goed here all the time."

"Just promise you won't run off again," Mary sighed. "Promise me."

"Pinkie promise!" Dean said holding out his hand. "I'll show you." Dean took his mom's hand and extended her pinkie then wrapped his around it. "I promise not to run away again. You can't break pink promises. Elizabeth telled me all about it."

"Good," Mary smiled.

"Where's the picnic?" Dean asked. "I'm getting hungry."

"Daddy has it," Mary answered. "You wanna go get it?"

"Yes please," Dean nodded. " I don't want to have to sit in here anymore. I don't think Angela likes me."

Mary carried Dean out of the office and down the stairs, out to where John and Sam had already set up the picnic at the table where the guys in the garage usually took their smoke breaks.

"I like it when you carry me," Dean said pressing his face into Mary's neck.

"I know, baby," Mary answered. "But you're getting too big for me to carry you." She placed him down on the bench and took her seat next to him.

"See everything's gonna be just fine," John smiled as he reached into the basket to pull out lunch.

"Does this mean you're gonna come home with us?" Dean asked excitedly. "So I don't have to live here?"

"You were never going to live here, Dean," John said shaking his head.

"I said I was gonna live with you cuz Momma's too mean to me," Dean nodded. "But if you come home, then when Momma is mean to be, I can just go to you and you can fix it. Like today when I ran away and then Momma comed to you and then when I seed after she was nice again."

"I have missed you, kiddo," John said shaking his head. "I would love to spend two minutes in that head of yours."

"I missed you too!" Dean said as he bounced on the bench while Mary unwrapped his sandwich.

"Do you want PB and J or roast beef?" Mary asked.

"Is it grape jelly?" Dean asked.

"Do you like any other kind of jelly?" Mary replied.

"No," Dean answered.

"Then why would I make a sandwich with a different jelly?"

"To trick me," Dean said. "You trick me to eating vegetables all the time."

"Do you want a jelly sandwich or a meat sandwich?" Mary repeated.

"Peanut butter and jelly," Dean smiled. "That's my favorite."

"Crustless roast beef sandwich?" Mary asked offering it to her husband.

"I would love it," John smiled. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry," Mary said when their eyes locked across the table. "I am so sorry."

"You got nothing to be sorry for," John said shaking his head. "Absolutely nothing."

"We can fix it," Mary nodded, clearly trying to hide her tears.

"It didn't break," John reassured her, shaking his head. "I… oh Mary… I wish there was something I could do to take back the last couple days. I need you. I need you and the boys more that I've ever needed anything. I screwed this up. You don't deserve it. I don't deserve you. You're something from heaven I swear."

"So we can get passed this?" Mary asked. "We can be a family again?"

"Yeah," John smiled. "If you'll have me."

"If you don't move back home, then I'm gonna marry Momma," Dean said. "I'll steal her away."

"I think you're going to have to wait a little bit before you steal her away, kiddo," John smirked.

Mary looked down at Dean and started to play with his hair. "So you'll be home for dinner?"

"I gotta finish Harrison's car," John said honestly. "He's picking it up tomorrow and I've still got a bit to do on it. Harrison doesn't want the kids working on it. No promises, but I'll be sleeping there tonight."

"You'll say goodnight to me!" Dean smiled.

"Of course," John replied. "I'm never gonna miss saying goodnight again. I swear."

The little family sat and ate their lunch while Mary filled in John on the excitement that happened while he was away. John watched his little boy stuffing his face with pretzels and sandwich and promised himself he'd never let that kid down again. Those three days alone, as much as he thought he needed them, were the worst three days he'd had since he was overseas. Nothing hurt more than seeing that hurt on Dean's face. Never again, he swore, never again.


	10. Chapter 10

As it started to get cool again, at the beginning of September, Mary ventured out to the grocery store with Dean on a Saturday afternoon, leaving Sam with John.

“I don’t want to ride in the cart,” Dean said when Mary tried to lift him up. “That is for babies. If you wanted to go shopping with a baby you shoulda brought Sammy.”

“Hold on to the side of the cart and don’t wander away then,” Mary replied.

“I will ride on the front,” Dean nodded as he climbed on. “And you will push me.”

“I’m gonna leave you at home next time if you don’t stop the attitude,” Mary said.

“No you won’t,” Dean smirked. “You love me too much, and I’m a very good helper at the grocery store.”

“Okay,” Mary smiled back as she pointed them toward the dairy isle. “Let’s get this done.”

Mary decided this was the absolute worst idea she had ever had before they got to the milk. Dean decided he would be a big helper and try to pick up a gallon of orange juice by himself, nearly causing a juice flood if Mary wasn’t quick on her feet. As they walked the store she was pulling stuff that they had never brought before out of the cart -- a can of black olives, corn bread mix, pepper relish, cans of cat food, bags of marshmallows-- and sticking it back on a random shelf.

“Dean,” Mary sighed, exhausted from the simple trip to the store. “Can you just stand on the end of the cart and not put random things we don’t need in it.”

“But we need this!” Dean explained holding up a package of muffins from the bakery.

“No, we don’t,” Mary said as patiently as she could. “I’ll make you blueberry muffins for breakfast if you want some.”

“Okay then,” Dean shrugged and waddled over the cart and hung on again.

“We only have to go through the vegetables and the meat and then we’re done,” Mary said as she started to push the cart again. “If you don’t touch anything else on the shelves before we get to the check out, I’ll buy you a candy bar.”

“Will you buy Sam a candy bar?” Dean asked seriously.

“No,” Mary answered. “I won’t buy Daddy one either. Just you.”

“So it’ll be really special,” Dean smiled.

“The specialest.” Mary agreed.

“I will try,” Dean said, letting a very determined expression cross his face. “I will try the best I can.”

Dean actually did very well not touching anything after that, he didn’t stay on the back of the cart like he was supposed to, but no new stuff ended up in the cart. As they made their way through the checkout, Mary let Dean sit on the bench at the front of store to keep him out of the way. He was a good helper, but there are things that are just easier to do without a four year old trying to do it too.

“Momma,” Dean said running up. “You’re never gonna believe it!”

“What is it?” Mary asked.

“There is a fire truck outside,” Dean said seriously.

“Yeah,” the checkout girl replied. “They’re collecting donations for a food drive. They’ve been out there for a while. Would you like to keep the candy bar out?”

“Yes please,” Mary nodded. “When we leave here, we’ll go look at the fire truck for a little bit. But we can’t stay too long because the ice cream will melt.”

“Okay,” Dean smiled. “Just one minute.”

Dean walked up to the two firefighters standing next to the truck as soon as Mary motioned that it was okay.

“Excuse me,” Dean said softly. “Are you a real fireman?”

“Yes sir,” the firefighter said kneeling down next to him. “I’m Lieutenant Powers, what’s your name?”

“Dean Winchester,” he replied. “Do you have a dalmatian?”

“We do not have a dalmatian at the firehouse,” Lieutenant Powers smiled.

“You should get one,” Dean nodded. “I know what to do if there is a fire my house, my daddy telled me.”

“What should you do?” Lieutenant Powers asked. “It’s very important to know that kind of stuff.”

“You don’t hide under the bed,” Dean explained. “Then the firemans can’t you. If the fire alarm goes off you go outside as fast as you can. But if you touch the door knob and it’s hot, you open the window and yell as loud as you can.”

“That’s exactly right, you’re are a very smart little boy.”

“I know,” Dean nodded. “But I got a question, acuz I got a little brother. He is only a baby. He doesn’t knowed how to walk or anything, so there is a fire at our house, how will Sam get out?”

“Well, Dean, have you and your dad talked about what to do if there was a fire since your brother was born?” Lieutenant Power asked.

“Nope,” Dean answered rocking back and forth on his feet. “Only before.”

“They what I think you should do, is when you get home, you should sit down with you mom and dad and make up an escape plan just in case. So that everyone knows what do, and you can make sure you know your little brother is safe.”

“It’s my job to make him safe,” Dean nodded. “That’s what big brother’s do. Do you think that maybe I can go in the firetruck?”

“Will that be okay with you mom?” Lieutenant Powers questioned.

Dean nodded uncertainly.

“I’d go ask her, kiddo,” the firefighter said standing back up. “If your mom says it’s okay, I’ll put you up in there.”

“That sounds like the best!” Dean exclaimed, eyes wide. “I’ll be right back.” He turned on his heel and ran toward this mother, still waiting by the back of the truck while Dean spoke with the firefighters. “That fireman said that if I asked you and you said yes, then I could go inside the firetruck.”

“Let me talk to the fireman,” Mary said, pushing the cart over. “I gotta load this stuff into the car before it melts.”

“Excuse me fireman!” Dean yelled. “My mom wants to ask you something.”

Lieutenant Powers turned to face Dean and Mary.

“Hi, sir,” Mary smiled. “Apparently, my son wants to sit in the firetruck. He said you’d let him if he had my permission.”

“That’s what I said ma’am,” Lieutenant Powers replied.

“I really have to put these groceries in the come the black Chevy monstrosity right next to the cart station. Would it be acceptable for you to watch for a few minutes while I load it up, then I’ll come back and get him out of your hair.”

“That’s fine by me,” Lieutenant Powers nodded. “We’ll let little Dean play in the truck until you get back. No problems ma’am.”

“I’m not little,” Dean pouted. “I’m a big boy.”

“Right,” Mary nodded. “Thank you, very much sir, I’ll be back in five minutes tops.”

“Come here Dean,” Lieutenant Powers said hold out his hand. “We’ll get you in there.”

He lifted Dean up and placed him inside the driver’s side.

“This is the coolest thing ever!” Dean exclaimed grabbing the steering wheel. “You get to drive this?”

“Sometimes yeah,” Lieutenant Powers nodded as he hung out of the side.

“One time, I got to drive my daddy’s car,” Dean rambled. “I got to sit on his lap and steer it. It was most fun. Driving a firetruck must be a lot cooler. Can I make the siren go off?”

“No,” Lieutenant Powers shook his head. “But you can turn the lights on.”

“Can I tell Daddy and Sammy that I turned on the sirens?”

“Absolutely,” Lieutenant Powers laughed. “You just gotta flip that switch right there and the lights will turn on.”

“This is so cool,” Dean smiled while he flipped the switch. “Sammy gonna be so jealous. I can’t wait to tell him. Do you think one day I can be a fireman?”

“I think so,” Lieutenant Powers replied. “When you get bigger, I think we can work something out.”

“When I’m a grown up?” Dean asked. “That’s gonna take forever, but I knowed that when I grow up I wanna be a fireman. You know why? Because they are like superheroes, but I knowed Superheroes are just pretend. I knowed that firemans are real superheroes. They save lots of people.”

“You gotta be very brave to be a fireman,” Lieutenant Powers said. “You think you got it?”

“I know I do,” Dean nodded. “One time, there was a monster under my bed, and I thinked it was gonna eat me and my mom, so I goed to my mom’s room with with sword to protect my mom. I’m very brave.”

“That’s pretty brave,” Lieutenant Powers agreed. “If you keep that up, I think that when you’re bigger you’ll be a great fireman.”

“You about ready?” Mary asked walking up. “Thank you very much sir, I know he can be a little bit of handful.”

“No problem ma’am,” Lieutenant Powers said. “You gotta good kid there.”

“Thank you,” Dean smiled reaching out toward his mom and falling into her arms.

“You keep being brave, Dean,” Lieutenant Powers smiled. “And I’ll see you real soon.”

“I will,” Dean nodded.

“Thank you again,” Mary smiled. “I’m sure you made his whole day.” Then turned and started to walk away.

“I got to turn on the lights!” Dean exclaimed. “And I got to sit in the big chair and the fireman said that I can be fireman when I’m big like Daddy!”

“That sounds really cool Dean,” Mary nodded popped the back door of the car open. “I bet you’d be really good at it. You’re really brave like the firefighters have to be.” She buckled him into his seat and walked around to her side.

“Momma when can I sit in the front?”

“When you can touch the floor with you feet,” Mary answered. “Not one minute before.”

“Okay,” Dean agreed kicking his feet back and forth. “Someday.”

When they got home, Dean was sound asleep, face pressed against the door. Mary took those quiet moments to get the bags in the house for John to put away, an agreement they’d had as long as they’d lived together.

“You leave Dean at the store?” John joked.

“I’m sure he would have stayed if I let him,” Mary answered. “There were firefighters outside collecting for a food drive. They let him sit in the truck and everything. He’ll probably talk about it for the next… rest of our lives. He wants to re-do the plan you made incase of a fire. You haven’t gone over it with him since Sam was born, and now he is very concerned about it.”

“Our kid’s a freak,” John chuckled.

“Yeah,” Mary shrugged. “When his best friend’s dad’s a firefighter he’s gonna learn all about that kind of stuff. I think it’s cute that he’s trying to keep us safe.”

“It is,” John agreed. “I don’t think Jamie or Brandon are that gungho about fire safety.”

“Dean doesn’t live with it everyday like they do,” Mary shrugged. “That also probably have their fire preparedness plan ready and posted in every room. It’s honestly better to have the plan than not to have one. You never know. Old house, iffy wiring, someone never remembers to empty the lint trap in the dryer.”

“I’ll go get him before he wakes up,” John smiled before kissing Mary on the forehead. “And at least I’m not flooding the basement anymore.”

“I’d rather have a flood than a fire,” Mary called after him.

 

“Come on, buddy,” John urged softly as he unbuckled Dean from his booster seat. “You’re home now.”

Dean grabbed onto his Dad’s neck and let him take the boy from the car.

“I meeted a fireman,” Dean mumbled. “There was no dalmatian. I was sad about it.”

“Not all firehouses have dalmatians, I told you that,” John said as they walked toward the house.

“I wanted to meet a dalmatian,” Dean replied. “Maybe someday.”

“Maybe,” John said as they crossed the threshold into the house. “Did you have fun time out with mom besides that?”

“Oh yeah,” Dean nodded. “I got a candy bar. I forgetted because of the fireman, but now I remember.”

“Must have been really exciting if you forgot about candy,” John laughed, dropping Dean down onto the sofa.

“Firemans, Daddy,” Dean said wide eyed. “Firemans. I got to turn the lights on. It was magical.”

John laughed. “Yeah that sounds real cool big guy. How about you take the rest of your nap. I’ll be waiting for you when you wake up. Mom says you want to make a new fire escape plan.”

“Mmhmm,” Dean nodded sleepily. “We have to get Sammy out too. Can’t forgetted him.”

“No one’s gonna forget Sammy in an emergency,” John said. “I promise. But I’ll sit with you and write up a new plan after dinner.”

“Thank you,” Dean yawned before rolling over and falling back to sleep.

 

Dean sat next to John at the kitchen table with his crayons after they’d cleaned up from dinner with matching looks of concentration on their faces.

“So the fire alarm goes off,” John started. “What do you do?”

“I get up and go to the door,” Dean answered. “I touch the door knob to see if it’s hot. It’s not hot then then I go out in the hallway and go downstairs and outside. If it’s hot, I go to the window and push on it until it opens and yell really loud for someone to help.”

“Very good,” John nodded.

“But what about Sammy?” Dean said seriously. “He’s too little to get out of bed by himself. Should I go get him? What about you and Momma, should I wake you up?”

“If there is a fire,” John said looking right into his son’s eye. “You get out as fast as you can. You let me worry about getting Sammy out.”

“You and Momma telled all the time to watch out for him,” Dean replied. “To make sure he doesn’t eat not food and that he doesn’t hit his head on the coffee table, and all sorts of stuff. It’s my job as a big brother to make sure he’s okay. That’s what you telled me.”

“I know,” John nodded. “But if there is an emergency like that, you just get out of the house as fast as you can.”

“Okay,” Dean nodded. “There has to be two ways out. So we go out the front door, but if the fire is in the way, we got out the back door and into the back yard.”

“And you meet us at the mailbox,” John said. “You just get out of the house and go to the mailbox.”

“So you’ll get Sam,” Dean said slowly. “I can get him. I have foot stool so I can get him out.”

“I promise that if anything happens, I will get Sammy and your Mom out,” John said. “I know you’re really concerned about all this fire stuff, but I’m the dad; I’ll keep everyone safe.”

“Okay, Daddy,” Dean smiled. “I believe you. I want to make sure Sammy doesn’t get left behind.”

“I won’t forget Sam,” John promised. “No one is ever gonna forget Sam. Just like it’s impossible to forget about you.”

“I’m unforgettable,” Dean nodded. “Nana told me.”

“Why don’t you go upstairs and get ready for a bath?” John suggested. “We’ll get you ready for bed and I’ll read you a story?”

“We read more Winnie the Pooh?” Dean asked wide eyed. “I like that one.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” John smiled. “Head upstairs I’ll be there in a couple minutes.”

“Okay Daddy!” Dean said hopping off his chair and running upstairs.

Mary came around the corner moments later after getting Sam to sleep. “Everything go okay?” She asked.

“Yeah,” John nodded. “We have a new emergency escape plan. Dean will not try to get Sam out incase of a fire.”

“Good,” Mary smile sliding into John’s lap. “Now we just have to hope that we never have to worry about putting that plan into action. Meaning, when you switch the laundry, clean the lint trap.”

“I’ll try,” John smirked.

“Do or do not,” Mary chuckled in her best Yoda voice. “There is no try.”

“Shut up,” John rolled his eyes. “That’s a great movie.”

“Nerd,” Mary smiled.

“Get up, I have to bathe Dean,” John said before kissing her on the side of the head.

“Wanna watch a real movie after he falls asleep?” Mary asked, standing.

“Normal adult things?” John joked. “How novel.”

“I’ll pop some popcorn, open a bottle of wine,” Mary said. “Call me up to say goodnight.”

“I’m reading Winnie the Pooh,” John told her as he started up the stairs. “It could be a while. I call you up after we finish the story. I’m only reading one tonight. Don’t fall asleep on me this time.”

“I’ll be here waiting.”

 

 

In the morning, after breakfast, Dean sat on the floor with Sam. Mary had him leaning up against the sofa.

“This is how you spell your name,” Dean said taking some of Sam’s blocks and spelling out “SAME” on the floor in front of him. “Sammy.”

Sam reached down, grabbed the “E” and started to try to eat it.

“No, Sam!” Dean sighed. “How am I supposed to learn you if you eat all the blocks?”

“What are you doing kiddo?” Mary asked looking up from her book.

“I’m trying to teach Sam his name but he eats the E,” Dean explained.

“There’s E in Sam,” Mary said confused.

“Yeah,” Dean nodded. “Sammy!”

“No sweetheart,” Mary chuckled, sliding down from the sofa to sit next to Sam. “I’ll show you.” She lined to blocks up to spell “Sammy.” “See it has a Y at the end. Maybe you’re little brother is just really smart and that’s why he kept eating the E.”

“He’s not smarter than me,” Dean protested. “He’s a baby. He can’t even talk. He tried to eat a dirty sock on the floor.”

“Oh, Deano,” Mary smiled pulling him close. “That’s not what I meant at all.” She kissed him on the top of the head. “What else do you want to learn Sam today.”

“I learned him where his nose it,” Dean explained. “But I need Goldfish. I say ‘Sammy where is your nose?’”

The pair looked over at Sam who was banging two blocks together, so Dean repeated himself.

Sam looked over at them.

“Your nose Sammy,” Dean said seriously. “Show Momma where your nose is.” Dean pointed to his on his face while staring at his brother.

Sam blinked, then pressed his palm to his face.

“Good job Sammy!” Dean exclaimed. “See I learned him a thing! Now you have to give him a Goldfish cracker. That’s how I teach him.”

“Very cool, Deano,” Mary smiled. “I’ll get him one later.”

“Do you think Sammy is big enough to go outside now?” Dean asked. “I think I wanna play outside for a while. Maybe I can push Sammy on the baby swing.”

“I have some grown up stuff I gotta do,” Mary said. “But I think that I can set it up so we can have Sammy in his little walker on the deck and I can watch you outside. Let me get the baby gate.”

Dean nodded and watched his mom stand up and leave the room.

“You’re really gonna like playing outside Sammy,” Dean said to his brother as he crawled closer to him. “It’s like playing inside, but there fresh air and more room and it’s funner. You will really like it. I can’t wait til you're big enough to run around with me. I’m getting a little tired of this baby things. But you’re a lot bigger than you were. So waiting isn’t too bad.”

“Right around when he turns one he’ll be walking,” Mary said coming back into the room with the baby gate. “So next summer you two can play at the park and run around the backyard together.” She then disappeared into the kitchen to put the gate across the stairs on the deck.

“This is taking forever,” Dean sighed loudly. “Maybe we can water Sam and he’ll grow like a tree.”

“Do not do that,” Mary said coming back into the living room pushing Sam’s walker. “Don’t pour water on your brother.”

“I’m just trying to help.”

“I know,” Mary nodded. “Can you push this outside and I’ll carry Sam?”

“Yep!” Dean jumped up and took the walker from his mom and pushed it across the kitchen and out the door.

“Wait for me to move the gate,” Mary called. “Then you can run around the yard, or you can get some inside toys and bring them out here. Keep Sam occupied while I finish up doing the bills. Then all three of us can go down.”

“I can get over the gate just fine, I do it all the time,” Dean yelled back.

“Don’t you dare do that! You’ll break your neck,” Mary said seriously.

“Fine,” Dean shrugged leaning against the deck until Mary came out and got Sam situated.

“Don’t ever jump over the gate,” Mary said kneeling down to look him in the eye. “I use it to keep you and Sammy from falling down the stairs. Don’t jump over it, you could fall down the steps and get hurt really bad.”

“I didn’t get hurted yet,” Dean replied.

“Dean Michael, you do what I say?” Mary said. “If I catch trying to jump over that gate, you will be in time out until you get married.”

“That’s a long time,” Dean answered seriously.

“Yes it is,” Mary nodded. “So don’t ever do it.”

“Yes Momma,” Dean replied.

Mary stood up and moved the gate so Dean could get down and run around the yard.

Sam was just starting to use the walker, he hadn’t had much practice but he was starting to realize if he moved his legs enough he would move. Mostly whenever he was in the walker, he’d end up stuck in a corner and keep trying to go through it. As soon as Mary let him go, Sam scooted across the deck to the corner by the stairs and appeared to be watching Dean run around making airplane noises.

Mary couldn’t wait to watch both her boys running around down there. Somedays she thought she was as anxious about it as Dean was for those moments. Babies were fun, hard work, yes still they had their moments, watching her boys play and learn was the highlight of most of her days, but she knew there would be something about the two of them together, Dean no doubt having Sam dressed as Robin running after him, that would make the constant asking when Sam was going to be big enough to do stuff worth trying not to roll her eyes. Sam started to fuss, so Mary stood up to turn him around. Sam bounced in his chair and laughed, that adorable little smile of his one little tooth sticking out.

“You want to run around with Dean don’t ya?” Mary smiled. “You probably want to play with him as much as he wants to play with you.

“Momma!” came a scream from the backyard.

Mary stood up as fast as she could and scanned the yard. Dean was on the ground below the swing holding his leg.

“Momma!” he screamed again. “I broke my leg.”

“I’m on my way, baby,” Mary said jumping the gate and rushing down to him. “What happened?”

“I jumped off the swing and I broke my leg,” Dean pouted clutching his leg with both hands.

“Let me see sweetheart,” Mary said pulling his hands away. “It’s okay, just let me see.”

Dean’s leg was not broken, the skin was barely broken.

“You’ll be okay,” Mary said sweeping him up. “It’s not broken, you just need a band aid.”

“You promise,” Dean said shoving his face into his mom’s shoulder. “It feels broken.”

“You’ll be fine,” Mary said as they climbed the stairs and Mary jumped the gate. She placed Dean on the ground next to Sam. “Stay here and watch your brother. I’ll go get the first aid kit.”

“Okay,” Dean mumbled, grabbing his leg again.

Sam did his best to roll over to Dean in his walker, hands out in front of him.

“Hi, Sammy,” Dean nodded. “Are you having fun outside? I was having lots of fun and then I broke my leg. When you’re big enough to play, I’m gonna make sure you don’t get hurt too bad. Daddy said that’s what being a big brother is about, making sure that you don’t do stuff that I did was not too smart.”

Mary returned with the first aid kit and sat down next to Dean. “What on earth did you do?”

“I was swinging,” Dean explained while Mary washed off his leg. “And I thinked ‘I could jump and go really far.’ So I jumped. And I did not go far at all. I just fell.”

“That’s how gravity works, kiddo,” Mary smirked.

“I don’t know what that is,” Dean confessed.

“In my experience,” Mary replied opening up an alcohol wipe. “Boys don’t learn too much about gravity until they’re teenagers. This is the first in a long line of you jumping off stuff and being surprised when you get hurt. This is gonna sting.”

Mary cleaned out the small cut on Dean’s knee while he winced and made it look a whole lot worse than it actually was.

“Are you done now?” Dean whimpered.

“Yep,” Mary nodded as she pressed the band aid on. “I just gotta kiss it, make it all better.”

“That works?” Dean asked.

“Of course,” Mary smiled. “Just like magic.” 

“Thank you,” Dean smiled. “I think I’m gonna get some of my action figures and play on the deck now.”

“I think that’s a fantastic idea,” Mary said pushing herself up and brushing off her knees. “Sammy was watching you through the bars. I think he wants to play with you.”

“I wanna play with you,” Dean smiled. “I’ll get my toys and then we’ll play army mans. Okay?”

“I’m not done doing my grown up stuff,” Mary said. “So you can go get your toys, but you’re gonna have to play with Sammy for little bit.”

“Okay,” Dean nodded as he stood up. “I’ll get Sammy’s toys. We’ll play with them.”

He walked back into the house with an exaggerated limp.

“You’re brother is something else, Sam,” Mary laughed pulling Sam toward her as she went back over to her chair. “One of a kind.”

 

After dinner, while Dean played with Sam on the floor in the living room, Mary and John sat together at the table discussing their days.

“I’ve been thinking about daycare,” Mary said.

“Starting one?” John asked, clearly hoping that wasn’t the case.

“No putting Dean in one,” Mary answered “Just to get him out, around kids his own age. It’ll help him when he starts kindergarten next fall. There’ll be less of a transition for him.”

“Isn’t it too late?” John asked. “Schools already started for the year.”

“I can start him in a program in January after he turns five,” Mary said. “I’ve looked into it. I think it will be really good for him.”

“I don’t see why not,” John smirked. “If you think you can handle it.”

“I would love some time for myself,” Mary said. “I know it sounds a little selfish, but I used to run all the time. I haven’t been able to do that since Dean was two. I used push him in the stroller and run now he’s just took big. If he was at school I could do that with Sammy. It would be really good for him to be out of the house and around kids. He’s going to have to learn sometime. All the other kids around his age in the neighborhood are in some kind of school I don’t want him to be behind. Plus, it would just be nice to have a little bit of time to just be me. He gets clingy.”

“Alright,” John nodded. “Let me know what you want to do.”

“I think it will really good for him,” Mary nodded. “I love Dean to death but sometimes he’s just too much.”

“Mary,” John said quickly nodding toward the doorway.

“It would be great to just be able to exhale,” Mary continued. “Just get rid of him for a couple hours a day. It would be fantastic.”

“Mary,” John said again, more seriously.

Mary turned toward the doorway where Dean was standing, his eyes filled with tears.

“You wanna get rid of me,” Dean huffed.

“No,” Mary said quickly running over, but Dean was faster and turned and shot up the stairs before she could get to him.

“How the hell am I gonna explain that?” Mary said rolling her eyes.

“Go up there before he really thinks you hate him,” John shrugged. “I’ll put Sammy down.”

“Thanks,” Mary sighed. She climbed the stairs and made her way into Dean’s room where he was laying face down sobbing into his pillow.

“Go away,” Dean snuffled. “I heard you say you wanted to get rid of me. I knowed this would happen! I knowed this was why you got Sam. I knowed it! I knowed when you first telled me about him. You don’t want me no more.”

“No,” Mary said sitting down next to him. “That’s not what I said at all.”

“Yes it is!” Dean yelled rolling over. “You said ‘I wanna get rid of Dean.’ I heard you. You thinked I didn’t, but I did and I know the truth!”

“No, Dean, I was talking to your dad about you going to school,” Mary explained. “I don’t want to get rid if you. I would never ever get rid of you. I love you very much.”

“You said I was too clingy,” Dean pouted. “I don’t even know what that means.”

“Dean,” Mary said trying to scoop Dean into her arms but he rolled away from her. “Listen to me. I do not want to get rid of you. I want you to go to school and learn.”

“I learn here,” Dean pouted. “You don’t want to teach me no more? That’s why you want to get rid of me.”

“I don’t think I’m the best person to teach you anymore,” Mary explained. “You’re getting too smart for me.”

Dean looked up at his mom very skeptically.

“You know how Jamie across the street goes to school?” Mary asked, Dean nodded. “I was telling Daddy that I think you should go to school too. I think it would be good for you to hang out with other little kids instead of just me and Sammy.”

“I like being with you and Sammy,” Dean replied. “It’s my favorite. You just want me to go away so it will be just you and Sammy. I know it.”

“No,” Mary said seriously. “I want you to be the smartest boy in you class. You can’t do that if you don’t go to school.”

“You love Sam more than me,” Dean huffed. “I know it.”

“Dean,” Mary said softly. “I want you to listen really close. I love you and your brother the same. You’re getting to be a big boy now, and you gotta get ready to experience new things, like leaving the house and me to go school for a couple hours a day. It’s not going to be for a while, me and Daddy were just talking about it. I said the wrong thing. I don’t want to get rid of you. I want you to go to school and get really smart. I love you and your brother more than anything.”

“More than Daddy?”

“Definitely more than Daddy,” Mary nodded. “Not even a contest.”

“More than Sam?”

“I love both of you the same amount.”

“If you had to chose?” Dean said blinking so that residual tears rolled out of his eyes. “Am I your favorite.”

“Sure,” Mary nodded.

“You don’t wanna trade me in?” Dean asked.

“Never,” Mary said. “There is no one in the world that could ever replace you.”

“I want you to know something,” Dean said. “I want you to know that every day that I spend with you is the best day of my whole life.”

Mary smiled, doing her best not to cry herself. “I feel the same way about you, Dean. Now, come on, let’s go downstairs, maybe we can watch a movie.”

“I can stay up late?” Dean asked.

“Just this once,” Mary nodded.

“Are you buttering me up?” Dean asked sitting up. “So that you can give me away.”

“I won’t ever give you away,” Mary promised. “It’ll be you and me forever and ever.” She bopped Dean on the nose. “I’m really sorry you overheard something that made you upset. That is not what I meant. Sometimes grown ups say things to other grown ups that mean something different than what kids think they mean.”

“It’s okay,” Dean said forcing a small smile. “I think I understand.”

“You’re my precious little Angel,” Mary said reaching out to pull Dean into a hug. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“I don’t know what I would do without you either,” Dean replied, a great big smile across his face.


	11. Chapter 11

Sitting around the dinner table in the middle of October, Dean made an announcement: “I know what I wanna be for trick or treat.”

“Who said you were going trick or treating?” John smirked.

“Me,” Dean replied. “I want to be Batman, and I asked Sam and he said he wanted to be Robin. And then he said that I can have all his candy.”

“I’m sure he did,” John said shaking his head, then turned to his wife. “You owe me ten bucks. I told you, Batman and Robin.”

“Yeah, I’ll get right one that,” Mary said rolling her eyes.

“Jamie and Brandon are going trick or treating,” Dean said. “So I’m going… and Sam. He wants to go. I asked him.”

“Sam doesn’t talk sweetie,” Mary smiled.

“He talks to me,” Dean explained. “You can’t hear him. Only other kids can hear him.”

“Oh,” John chuckled shaking his head. “That makes perfect sense. And Sammy only says stuff that benefits you? Like getting all his trick or treat candy.”

“Yes,” Dean nodded. “Well, I ask him a question and then he answers it. I only asks him what he wants to be for Halloween and if I can have his candy, since he only has one tooth and it would go bad before he gots enough teeths. Maybe he can have one lollipop.”

“That’s an excellent point, John,” Mary agreed. “Sam does only have one tooth. But he’s definitely not big enough yet to have any candy, not even one lollipop.”

“You’re not going to eat all of Sam’s candy,” John said firmly. “We’ll go trick or treating, but you can only have one bag of candy.”

“You’ll go with me?” Dean asked. “You and me and Sam?”

“Of course,” John nodded.

“You gotta get a costume too,” Dean said. “You gotta think of one.”

“I’ll get right on that,” John smiled. “Eat your dinner.”

“I’ll start working on making you a Batman costume after we eat,” Mary said.

“You’ll make it?” Dean asked.

“Yes, sir,” Mary nodded. “That way you can wear it a whole bunch more times after Halloween. If I know you, I know you’ll want to be Batman more than just one time.”

“I want to be Batman all the time,” Dean agreed picking up his fork.

“Exactly,” Mary smiled.

“This is gonna be the best!” Dean said squirming in his seat and humming to himself as he started to eat his dinner.

“When did Sammy start talking to you?” John asked, curious.

“Today,” Dean replied. “You want me to ask him another question?” Dean turned to look at Sam who was sitting between him and Mary in a high chair with a few pieces of Cheerios on the tray that he tried to eat and a sippy cup he was just starting to get the hang of using. Mary usually fed him before dinner, but she liked including Sam in family dinner time.

“Sure,” John nodded.

“What do you want me to ask him?” Dean asked.

“Ask him what his favorite night time story is?” Mary suggested.

“Okay,” Dean turned so that he was facing Sam. “Sammy.” Dean said until Sam stopped and looked at him. “Momma wants to know what your favorite bedtime story is.”

Sam looked at Dean, then started to smile and clap.

“He says ‘Goodnight Moon,’” Dean interrupted.

“Oh,” John chuckled. “How funny that that’s the book that you read to him.”

“It’s not my fault I’m his favorite,” Dean shrugged as he went back to his dinner.

Mary started laughing so hard she had to excuse herself from the table for moment.

 

After dinner, John and Mary stood together washing and drying the dishes while Dean played with Sam in the living room. It was getting easier to leave Dean alone with his baby brother for longer periods of time. Not that they would leave them alone for more than five or ten minutes, but the constant worrying that Dean was going to do something to him had been greatly eased the last few months.

“Our boys are adorable aren’t they,” Mary smiled passing John a plate.

“Yeah,” John chuckled. “They’re gonna be hell someday.”

“Dean’s right though,” Mary continued. “You gotta think of a costume, we can get you into a nice suit put some flour in your hair and call you Alfred.”

“Yeah, that’s not happening,” John replied. “You’re not going to take them?”

“No,” Mary said shaking her head. “I kind of hate Halloween. I’ll hand out candy you walk the neighborhood with Dean. He’ll love it. He spends all day with me. You should get to do some of the fun stuff.”

“You know the ghosts and vampires out on Halloween are just pretend,” John joked. “You don’t gotta be afraid.”

“You’re hilarious,” Mary deadpanned. “I’ve never been a Halloween person.”

“You don’t want to dress up like Poison Ivy and walk the neighborhood?” John smirked.

“Maybe we’ll have our own Halloween party,” Mary said looking up at her husband. “Let Joyce or Karen take the boys for the night, or send them up to your mom. I’ll be Poison Ivy for you.”

“I like this idea,” John said seriously. “I’ll call my mom set that up as soon as possible.”

Behind them they heard a giggle of a four year old who definitely didn’t understand what they were talking about.

“What’s so funny?” Mary asked turning around as she passed another plate to John.

“I knowed what Daddy can be for Halloween,” Dean announced. “He can be the Wolfman, because he’s all hairy!” Dean then bursted into a fit of giggles.

“You think that’s funny?” John chuckled.

“Yes I do,” Dean nodded. “But Sammy threw up on himself. It’s a disaster.”

“Wonderful,” Mary sighed. “Can you finish this up?”

“Of course,” John replied.

“I’ll help!” Dean declared. He grabbed a kitchen chair and pushed it toward the sink as Mary went to take care of Sam.

“I don’t think it’s a very good idea for you to help with the dishes,” John said as Dean climbed up onto the chair so he could reach the sink. “I don’t want you to break anything.”

“I’ll be very careful,” Dean said. “Maybe I can just dry the silverware. I can’t break that.”

“Alright,” John nodded. “I guess we can do that.”

“I like helping,” Dean said as John handed him a fork to dry. “It makes me feel like a grown up.”

“You like pretending to be all grown up?” John asked handing Dean a spoon.

“Yep,” Dean nodded. “I can’t wait to be a real grown up. It’s gonna be lots of fun. Every time I want to do something, you or Momma tell me that I can’t do it til someday. I don’t wanna wait no more. I wanna be bigger so I can go in the front seat and help Momma do stuff.”

“You don’t wanna grow up too fast kiddo,” John said pulling the plug on the sink before wiping his hand off and running his hand through Dean’s hair. “You gotta savior being a kid. You’ll miss it when it’s over.”

“You miss being a little kid?” Dean asked, reaching his arms up so John could pick him up.

“Yeah,” John said with a far away look in his eyes. “I didn’t really get to be a kid, I had to grow up real fast after my Dad went away. I don’t want that for you kiddo. I’ll do everything I can to make sure you don’t grow up too fast.”

“Okay, Daddy,” Dean nodded. “But I really do want to be a grown up. I wanna help you work on the car. And I wanna sit in the front seat, and I wanna push Sam in the stroller, and do all the other stuff grown ups do.”

“I know buddy,” John said solemnly. “But right now, you just focus on helping Mom make your new Batman costume. If you try to grow up too fast, the next thing you know you’ll be graduating high school and you missed everything.”

“I’m not even in pre school,” Dean said with is eyebrows pressed together.

“You’ll understand when you’re bigger,” John explained.

“Someday again,” Dean sighed. “Do you think Sam is all cleaned up? It’s almost bed time. Sammy said that he wants me to read him Goodnight Moon and tuck him in real good before he goes to sleep.”

“He did?” John smiled. “Well, lets go check on him, huh. You’re being a very good big brother. Sam’s very luck to have a brother that loves him as much as you do.”

“I’m just doing what you telled me,” Dean smiled. “I’m watching out of Sammy. He almost rolled into the table, but I stopped him.”

“Good job,” John nodded.

“He rolls a lot now,” Dean said wide eyed. “Momma said he’s gonna start to crawl soon. Then he’s gonna get into everything, and I gotta watch him extra careful. I take being a big brother very seriously.”

“You sure do,” John chuckled.

“That’s why I wanna be a grown up,” Dean explained. “If I’m a grown up I can be even better at being a big brother. Cuz I can pick up Sammy and move him out of the way. I can’t do that now. He’s too heavy. But when I’m a grown up I’ll be strong like you.”

John couldn’t help but smile as he walked with Dean into the living room to see how Mary and Sam were doing. It looked like Mary had everything under control in there.

“Is Sam ready for sleeping?” Dean asked. “You can put me down now.”

John obliged. The second Dean’s feet hit the floor was running toward Sam and Mary.

“I think so,” Mary said. “I don’t think Sam tummy feels very good.”

“I wouldn’t think so if he throw up everywhere,” Dean agreed. “When I don’t feel good I go to sleep until I feel better, and you read me stories. I can read Sammy some stories until he feels better.”

“How about Daddy reads you both a story at the same time?” John asked.

“I’ll ask Sam,” Dean said leaning over and whispering into Sam’s ear. Sam turned and pressed his fat little hand against Dean’s face. “He says that would be nice.”

John took the boys upstairs to the master bedroom, laying Sam on the bed and helping Dean up before going to Dean’s room to grab the Winnie the Pooh book he’d been reading to Dean at night. He returned and situated himself so that Dean was pressed against his side and Sam was laying on his chest, and began to read.

“I really like this story Daddy,” Dean yawned. “I’m glad you’re reading it to me.”

John brushed Dean’s hair out his eyes and continued reading until boy of his boy fell asleep.

“Hey, Mare,” John whispered as Mary walked by the door to head to the bathroom. “Can you grab one?”

“Yeah,” Mary nodded entering the room. “Only if you pretend to be asleep for a minute so I can take a picture.”

John shook his head and smirked. “Yeah okay.”

Mary grabbed the camera off the dress while John closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep again Dean’s head.

When the flash went off, Dean awoke suddenly. “LIghtning!” Dean yelled disoriented.

“No, just a camera flash sweetheart, go back to sleep,” Mary said sweetly.

“Oh okay,” Dean yawned snuggling back into John’s chest.

 

 

“I’m BATMAN! Nananananana.” Dean yelled running down the stairs in his recently finished Batman costume Halloween morning. Mary had taken a grey t-shirt and sewn black pieces to it, a yellow Bat symbol across his chest. They had gone out and gotten him a mask and utility belt, but Mary had fashioned some extra bat stars out of a cardboard box for him.

“What does Batman want for breakfast?” Mary asked placing Sam in his high chair.

“Justice!” Dean exclaimed.

“How about Cap’n Crunch?” Mary suggested.

“That sounds good,” Dean nodded climbing into his own chair. “Can I feed Sam?”

“If you take the mask off, I don’t see why not,” Mary shrugged. She placed Sam’s baby food in front of Dean and moved Sam and his chair close to Dean.

“But I don’t want to take the mask off,” Dean pouted.

“You’re scaring Sam,” Mary said. “Babies get confused when you have masks on. So take it off if you want to feed him.”

“Fine,” Dean huffed pulling the mask off and placing it on the table.

Sam’s eyes widened and he giggled when he realized it was his big brother under there.

“This smells gross,” Dean grimaced. “You let Sammy eat this?”

“He likes it,” Mary explained.

“Are you ready to eat this gross food Sam?” Dean asked placing the baby spoon in the jar of baby food. He mimicked what he’d seen Mary do when feeding Sam, trying to get the baby to open his mouth. “I don’t think he likes it. He knows it’s gross.”

“Try making airplane noises and flying the spoon in,” Mary suggested. “He thinks that’s funny.”

“I think you’re making stuff up, Momma,” Dean said skeptically, but he tried anyway. “Open up Sam!” He said between making engine noise. “The plane needs a place to land.”

Surprisingly, Sam opened his mouth and even leaned a little bit forward to get to the spoon.

“See,” Mary smiled. “I told you he liked it.”

“Good job, Sam,” Dean smiled at his brother. “Only a hundred more spoonfuls of gross baby food to eat.”

Mary walked around the kitchen, getting Dean’s breakfast ready, the bowl of cereal, some orange juice and a banana, and brought it over to him.

“That you for helping,” she smiled. “I’m gonna take over now while you eat your breakfast.”

“When breakfast is over, we’ll finish Sam’s costume so he can be my sidekick for trick or treating?” Dean asked.

“Yep,” Mary nodded as she flew another spoonful toward Sam. “But we’re not going to put him in it until Daddy gets home because you know Sam will get it all dirty or throw up on it before you get to go out.”

“We don’t want that,” Dean replied. “You can’t be Robin if you got baby throw up all over your shirt.”

“Right,” Mary chuckled. “Finish up you breakfast, we’ll get to work.”

 

Dean sat next to Mary, barely moving, just watching intently as Mary sewed the last pieces of fabric to the red onesie Sam was going to dressed in that evening.

“How did you learn how to do this?” Dean asked softly.

“My mom taught me,” Mary explained. “She used to make quilts and all my clothes when I was little.”

“Will you teach me?” Dean asked. “I want to learn how to make clothes.”

“Sure,” Mary nodded. “When you’re a little bit bigger. I think I started sewing when I was about six. That’s not too far away.”

“If I learn to make clothes then I can make you a dress like the mouses in Cinderella,” Dean explained. “They will be beautiful and you can go to the ball.”

“That sounds awesome,” Mary chuckled.

“And!” Dean continued. “I can make a Superman costume and a Captain America costume and all the other superheros and I can be a superhero every day. And I can Sammy side kick costumes.”

“That is exactly what I thought you were going to say the first time,” Mary laughed. “I’ll teach you how to use the sewing machine when your a little bigger. I don’t want you to get your fingers stuck in there. We’ll start with something small first, then move to the big stuff. I was going to use some of your old baby clothes to make a quilt. Maybe that’s something me and you can do together.”

“That sounds like a fun time,” Dean nodded. “I will like it.”

 

They day passed much too slowly for Dean, who was beyond anxious to start collecting candy. When John got home he was greeted at the door by a little boy holding a pumpkin pail.

“Let’s go!” Dean demanded. “Hurry up we gotta go or all the good candy will be gone.”

“Trick or treat doesn’t even start for two hours,” Mary laughed. “We’re gonna have dinner first, then Daddy’s gonna get dressed. Then trick or treat.”

“I wanna go now,” Dean pouted.

John scooped the little boy up in his arms and blew a raspberry on his belly. “You gotta wait kiddo. Just a little bit longer.”

“I’ve been waiting my whole life!” Dean whined.

“Then two more hours won’t be so bad,” Mary smiled.

John dropped Dean back down to the floor and walked passed him toward his wife. “You need any help?”

“No,” Mary said shaking her head. “It’s almost done, but if you could feed Sam that would be very helpful.”

“What is he eating?” John asked as he searched the baby food cabinet.

“Meat and a vegetable, sippy cup with milk in it. He doesn’t really have a favorite, so just whatever you grab.”

“He’s not an all sweet potatoes and peaches baby?” John laughed.

“No he actual eats all the different foods,” Mary smiled. “He doesn’t really like the peas, but no one likes peas. Maybe he won’t be so picky like his big brother.”

“I’m not picky,” Dean said.

“You are the pickiest eater I have ever met,” Mary disagreed. “Why don’t you go wash your hands and change your shirt so you don’t get dinner all over you costume?”

“Fine,” Dean huffed turning on his heels and running from the room.

“Think he’s gonna take it off?” John asked.

“I think I’m going to have to peel it off of him in about a week to wash it,” Mary replied. “Or I might just make him stand in the backyard and spray him down with the hose. He put it on the moment I told him it was done.”

“He’s excited,” John shrugged. “There’s worse things.”

“Very, very true,” Mary smirked as she started to strain vegetables.

Dean came back downstairs carrying his Batman shirt, but with his mask, belt, and pants still on.

“You can’t wear a mask at the table, Bud,” John said shaking his head. “You gotta act like a normal person until after dinner.”

“I am a normal person,” Dean said as he placed his shirt on the chair then climb up so he was sitting on it.

“Batman’s parents doesn’t let him wear his mask at the dinner table,” John said.

“Batman’s parents don’t live with him because the bad man shot them,” Dean explained. “That was before he was Batman he was just a little kid.”

“Well, you still can’t wear your mask at the dinner table,” Mary said reaching over him and taking it off. “And if you throw a fit about it, you won’t be going trick or treating.”

“But!” Dean huffed.

“You can have it back after dinner,” Mary explained. “You can’t be Batman at the dinner table. We went over this at lunch and breakfast.”

“Sometimes I think you don’t want me to be happy,” Dean pouted crossing his arms.

“Eat you dinner,” Mary laughed placing a plate down in front of him. “Then you can have you mask back. It’s not gonna kill ya.”

Dean ate his dinner with a scowl on his face. It was hard not to laugh at him, but both of his parents managed to keep from laughing. Both knew if either of them cracked it would end in a horror show. So they both sucked it up and did their best not to look over at Dean.

“I am done with dinner,” Dean huffed when his plate was clear. “Can I have my mask now?”

“Go wash your face, then you can have it back,” Mary said.

Dean sighed as loudly had he could and slid down the chair under the table. “I just want to go trick or treating!”

“Soon,” John said. “Go wash your face and put your shirt back on. Then we’ll get Sam ready and we’ll go.”

“What about your costume?” Dean asked pushing himself up to his dad’s lap from under the table.

“I’m not dressing up,” John smiled down at him. “Go wash your face.”

Dean reluctantly sulked off to the bathroom to clean up.

“We can get you dressed like Alfred in, like, five seconds,” Mary said the moment Dean left the room. “Just put on a suit jacket and put some flour in your hair and you’ll be good.”

“The only suit jacket I got is the one I got married in,” John said. “Not happening. I’ll be an auto mechanic.”

“Lame,” Mary laughed.

“Well,” John shrugged. “You’re not even going. So you don’t get an opinion.”

“Fair enough,” Mary shrugged. “I’ll get Sam dressed. The rest of Dean’s Bat-a-rang things are on top of the fridge cuz he kept throwing them at me. Make sure he doesn’t throw them at people, especially Elizabeth if you run into them.”

John gave a thumbs up as he finished clearing the table while Mary took Sam to change into Robin. While they were still getting the boys ready the doorbell rang.

“It started without me!” Dean screamed. “I’m gonna miss it!”

“Calm down,” John scowled. “We’re leaving in two seconds.”

John opened the door to see the two boys from across the street, Jamie and Brandon (Jamie as Superman, Brandon as a ghost), with their dad, Jim, at the door.

“Trick or treat!” the boys yelled in unison.

“Hey boys,” John smiled dropping a couple pieces of candy into each of their baskets.

“Hello Mr. Winchester!” the boys answered. “Thank you for the candy.”

“No problem,” John smiled. “We doing this as a group?” John asked Jim.

“Think we can get away with drinking a couple beers while we do it?” Jim whispered.

John leaned back around the archway to see if Mary heard him then nodded. He motioned for Jim and his boys to come into the house and walked toward the kitchen with Jim.

“I think I can stuff a little cooler on the bottom of the stroller,” John nodded. “Sam is part of Dean’s costume. We’ll get this figured out. Gotta do it quick though, Dean thinks that trick or treat will happen without him.”  
“Batman and Robin,” Jim smiled, as Mary can around the corner with Sammy. “If only our boys got along that well.”

“What are you two doing?” Mary asked.

“Nothin’,” John shrugged, opening the fridge.

“Don’t get arrested,” Mary sighed as she watched John pull out a six pack. “This night is about all the boys. Don’t be stupid.”

“We’re adults,” John smiled. “We’ll be good.”

“Is Jamie and Brandon coming Trick or Treating with us?” Dean asked running into the room.

“Yep,” Jamie answered. “You’re being Batman?”

“Yeah,” Dean nodded. “Cuz Batman is better than Superman, and Sam is Robin.”

“Brandon wanted to be ghost,” Jamie shrugged. “I guess Sam is better cuz you can make him do what you want.”

“Sometimes,” Dean nodded. “Other times he just cries a lot, but I’m trying to teach him.”

“I wish I could teach Brandon,” Jamie replied. “He just follows me around and tries to do everything I do. It’s annoying.”

“I’m not annoying!” Brandon whined from behind them.

“You’re very annoying,” Jamie corrected, shoving Brandon’s face.

“Hey,” Jim yelled. “None of that. Behave or you can go home and I’ll go get all the candy.” He shook his head and turned to John. “You did a good thing having them so far apart. I love my kids, but it’s struggle not to drown both of them at bath time.”

“They’re good kids,” John shrugged. “I’m kind of looking forward to mine being competitive like yours. It’ll be fun.”

“You say it now,” Jim chucked taking the beer bottle John offered him. “But it’s mostly good when they’re not trying to kill each other.”

“Let’s do this,” John suggested as Mary appeared with the stroller.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Mary pleaded. “Just walk the boys around let them get their candy, then do your drinking back at the Kings. I really don’t feel like bailing you out of jail.”

“We’re not drunk,” John said kissing Mary on the cheek. “We’ll be good. I’ll be home later. Have fun handing out candy.”

“I will,” Mary said. “Have fun out there. Behave and listen to your dad. Okay?”

“Yes Momma,” Dean nodded. “I’ll be really good.” 

 

Trick or Treat went surprisingly well. There was no fighting between the three boys about who got more or better candy, Sam slept through most of it, and John only had to yell at Dean once for throwing his Bat-a-rang pieces at unsuspecting passers by. 

At the end of the night the group ended up back at Jamie and Brandon’s. They boys dumped their candy on the floor to sort and trade while the dad’s sat at the kitchen island while Sam slept in his stroller.

“Where’s Joyce?” John asked halfway through their third beer.

“KC with her sister for bridesmaid dress shopping,” Jim replied.

“She went back to work now that the boys are little older right?”

“Yeah, she works at a boutique near your garage,” Jim answered. “Why?”

“I gotta fire Angie,” John sighed.

“Well you saw that coming,” Jim laughed.

“I didn’t really care what she did as long as she didn’t lose anything and answered the phone,” John said shaking his head. “But that had become too much for her. So I need a new receptionist. Mike’s niece goes to KU, so he said she might be able to do it a couple days a week. I’m trying to think of a way to ask Mary to work the other days.”

“She did it before,” Jim said.

“She been giving subtle hints that she’s going stir crazy,” John continued. “So I’m going to suggest it. I mean Dean’s starting school in January, she can bring Sammy to the shop, it might be nice.”

“All the other mom’s in the neighborhood work now,” Jim said. “You can use that to try to convince her. Lizzie’s mom is a fourth grade teacher, the weird hippie girl is an ad exec in Topeka.”

“Seriously?” John said, placing his bottle down.

“Yeah,” Jim nodded. “I figured she was a masseuse or aromatherapist or something weird, but she’s pretty high up in an advertising company I guess.”

“Huh,” John shrugged. “Never would have guessed.”

Dean came into the room and climbed into his father’s lap.

“I’m tired,” Dean yawned. “Can we go home now?”

“Did you have fun?” John asked.

“The most fun,” Dean nodded, as the radio Jim had for the fire department started to go off. “What is that?” Dean asked wide eyed.

“It is my pager for when there’s a fire,” Jim explained. “When I’m not at the station this is how they get ahold of me.”

“Neat,” Dean smiled “I meeted a different fireman at the grocery store. He said I’d be a good fireman because I’m very brave. I’m gonna be a fireman when I grow up.”

“You’d be a great addition to the department, little guy,” Jim told him ruffling his hair.

“Go get your candy,” John said placing Dean back on the floor. “Then we’ll head out.”

“Okay,” Dean said leaving the room.

“Cook-out Saturday before it gets too cold?” Jim suggested. “Watch some football?”

“I’m game,” John said extending his hand to Jim’s. “You ready, say good bye.”

“Goodbye Mr. King,” Dean smiled. “Goodbye Jamie and Brandon!”

“Bye Dean!” Jamie yelled peeking his head around the corner. “See you later!”

“You’re gonna carry me?” Dean asked looking up at his dad.

“I gotta push Sammy,” John said. “You can walk across the street it’s not too far. Mom’s waiting for you to tell her all about your candy.”

“Oh yeah!” Dean said, suddenly finding a burst of energy as they walked to the door.

“See ya this weekend,” John nodded as he opened the door.

Dean ran ahead to the end of the driveway waiting there for his dad to meet him so they could cross the street, neither of them knowing that there would be no play date or cookout that weekend, neither knowing that their lives would be changing forever in less than forty eight hours.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of the Dialouge from this chapter is taken directly from the Pilot Episode of Supernatural

"Momma," Dean whispered, face pushed against the back sliding glass door on the drizzly and cold Wednesday morning. "There is a turkey outside. I want to pet it."

"No," Mary sighed. "You're in your pajamas. No going outside."

"But a turkey," Dean said looking up at his mom. "I'm never gonna get to pet one ever again." He started to open the door, doing his best to do it so quietly that Mary wouldn't notice.

"If you go outside after I just told you not to," Mary warned. "You will be in time out until lunch. You understand?"

"Yes, Momma," Dean sighed closing the door again. "What if I goed upstairs and put on real clothes and shoes? Then can I pet the turkey?"

"What part of no don't you understand?" Mary replied. "I said no."

"Fine," Dean huffed. "You're no fun."

"I know, mean old mom," Mary shrugged. "Ruining everything keeping my kids from being attacked by wild birds."

Mary scooped down and picked up Dean so she could look out the window with him and laughed. "Oh, buddy, that's not a turkey. That's Mr. Lahey's rooster."

"It's a turkey," Dean said seriously. "I know turkeys, they are my favorite animal."

"They are?" Mary smiled.

"Mmhmm," Dean nodded. "I like the feathers."

Mary walked with Dean into the living room where Sam was napping in his playpen.

"You wanna watch a movie until Sammy wakes up?" Mary asked.

"Can we watch Cinderella!?" Dean asked.

"Sure," Mary nodded, putting Dean back down on the floor. "We can watch Cinderella for the twentieth time this week. Go get the cassette. I'll set it up for you."

"What else are we gonna do today?" Dean asked as he sought out the video on the bookshelf and headed back to him mom.

"Well," Mary smiled. "I was planning on making some new tapes for the car, but I can't do it when Sammy's sleeping."

"So we do it after Cinderella," Dean nodded. "Before lunch, I'll help."

"I know you will," Mary said after she put the video into the VCR and joined Dean on the couch; where they cuddled while watching Mary fast forwarded through the previews.

"I love this movie," Dean smiled. "I like the big mouse in the green shirt. I like to sing along."

"I know buddy," Mary smiled. "We got a whole bunch of other movies too. Most of them have songs in them. You don't have to just watch the Princess movies."

"I like this one the most," Dean said pressing his head against his mom's shoulder. "Cinderella reminds me of you, because you're both so beautiful. I knowed Daddy doesn't like the Princess movies, but I do a lot."

 

Mary fell asleep before they got through the first song. Dean felt his mom leaning heavily against his side, so he very carefully slid off the couch and let his mom lay down.

"It's okay Momma," Dean whispered. "Sometimes everyone needs a nap." He took her legs and placed them up on the couch and grabbed the blanket from the chair and put it over her. He kissed her on the forehead and sat down on the floor in front of her.

Around the Fairy Godmother scene, Sam started to stir in his playpen.

"Don't you dare cry," Dean said seriously crawling over to him. "Momma is taking a nap." He stood up and pulled Sam out, placing him on the floor next to him. "Are you hungry?"

Sam clapped and made baby noises, which Dean interpreted as a yes. So he went to the kitchen and got Sam a bottle out of the fridge.

"Now be quiet, this is favorite part," Dean said holding up the bottle for Sam who smiled and reached for it. "The mouses are gonna turn into horses and take Cinderella to the ball. I'm gonna go to a ball someday, Sammy, and meet a beautiful princess and live happily ever after. And maybe one day, when you're big, you will too."

When the movie was over, Dean stood up and pressed the rewind button on the VCR and took out the blocks. He knew that Sam liked to play with them the most. He spread them out so Sam could pay while he got out a coloring book and his crayons.

"Don't eat these," Dean said holding up a red crayon toward Sam. "They are not food. Do not eat them."

Dean colored two pictures in his favorite dinosaur coloring book before Mary woke up.

"What are my boys doing?" she asked. "You behaving yourselves?"

"Yep!" Dean answered. "I colored this for you while you were sleeping."

"Thank you very much," Mary answered sitting up. "You got Sammy out of the playpen by yourself?"

"Mmhmm," Dean nodded. "He was gonna cry. So I took him out and I gave him a bottle so he didn't cry cuz I didn't want him to wake you up from your nap."

"That was very sweet of you," Mary smiled. "But next time, don't pick Sammy up out of there. I don't want you to get hurt. I know how heavy he's getting. I don't want you to fall over while you're holding Sammy."

"Okay," Dean nodded. "You got that Sam?"

Sam looked over at his brother and said "Ba ga moo."

"He said moo," Dean said wide eyed. "Sammy is part cow!"

"No, Dean," Mary chuckled. "He is not part cow. He is a person."

"You heared him! He mooe-ed!"

"He was making baby noise," Mary explained.

"Nuh-huh," Dean said shaking his head. "He's a cow person. I'm gonna get him to say it again!"

"Have fun," Mary chucked. "I'm gonna make you a sandwich. Do you want carrot sticks or ants on log?"

"No thanks," Dean answered. "Just one sandwich, no vegetables."

"You have to eat vegetables," Mary replied. "We've been over this a million times."

"Can the ants be chocolate chips?" Dean asked.

"I will make one with chocolate chips," Mary compromised. "One with raisins."

"Okay," Dean shrugged. "I guess I will eat it. If I have to."

"You have to," Mary nodded. "Play with Sam for a little bit, I'll be right back."`

"Listen to me Sam," Dean said sliding across the floor. "You're going to have to moo again so Momma can hear it. Can you do that for me?"

Sam smiled his two tooth grin and clapped.

"No you gotta moo," Dean pressed. "It's important."

Sammy reached toward Dean and giggled, pressing against his face.

"Yes that's my nose," Dean said in his most serious voice. "But you gotta say moo again. It's the most important. I know you can do it."

"Dean," Mary laughed. "Come here, come eat your lunch."

"Okay," Dean said looking at Sam. "You practice." He stood up and ran off toward the kitchen.

 

While Dean was eating, Mary set up her stereo so that she could start making her new mixtapes. She loved her husband, but his taste in music was horrible, and he refused to let her change the station while he drove. He insisted that the driver picked music and shotgun kept their mouth shut up about it. However, if she made tapes, she could sneak her music in there instead of listening to Johnny Cash and George Jones until her eye drums exploded.

"Whatcha doing?" Dean asked flopping into her lap.

"Did you eat everything on that plate?" Mary asked.

"Nope," Dean said holding up a celery stick. "I brought some of it with me."

"As long as you eat it," Mary sighed. "You want to help me make this tape?"

"Yes," Dean nodded. "How do I help?"

"Do you have a favorite song kiddo?"

"Itsy bitsy spider," Dean said seriously.

"I don't think I got that on vinyl," Mary chuckled. "Any other song you really like?"

"I like the song you sing to me," Dean said, pressing her head against Mary's chest and looking up at her. "The sad song."

"I'll put that on the tape," Mary smiled. "It'll be a special Dean and Mom tape. We'll call it your musical education."

"I will like that," Dean nodded. "I will listen to it every day."

"Get up," Mary said taping Dean's arm. "I need to pick out the music I want. I gotta find everything on my list."

"This is a good rainy day thing," Dean said. "We can make music every time it's bad outside."

"Maybe not every time," Mary smiled. "But I plan to make a whole bunch more real soon.

"Is all the tapes in the car yours?" Dean asked.

"Most of them," Mary nodded. "All the ones in the shoe box under the passenger's seat are. Daddy keeps his in the glove box."

Dean watched as Mary arranged her albums around her stereo in the order that she wanted them on the tape.

"How does the music get off the round thing and onto the tape?"

"Magic," Mary smiled.

"Daddy says there is no magic," Dean replied.

"That's because your daddy is boring," Mary answered. "What happens is I play the record on my record player and while it's playing, I have a tape with nothing on it in the tape deck and I press record and the music goes onto the tape."

"If I yell really loud while the music is playing will my yelling go on the tape?" Dean asked.

"No," Mary said shaking her head. "And don't do that. That's a very bad idea."

"Can I color while you make the music?" Dean asked.

"Of course, sweetheart," Mary smiled. "I'm going to change Sammy, and stick him in his walker so he can stretch his legs for a little bit. Then I'm going to make the tape."

"Alright," Dean nodded as he grabbed a piece of paper from underneath the coffee table and placing it on top next to his crayons. "I'm gonna draw a picture for Daddy's toolbox. I'll draw our family."

"I think Daddy will like that very much," Mary smiled while Sammy squirmed and babbled in her arms.

"Did he moo again?" Dean asked.

"No, Dean," Mary answered. "Sammy doesn't moo. He's just putting sounds together. He doesn't know what they mean."

"But I heared him," Dean said seriously.

"Okay," Mary chuckled, strapping Sam into his walker. "Don't expect him to say it all the time. He doesn't understand words yet. He's just working in out."

"He's part cow," Dean repeated. "He's gonna say it a lot."

"Right," Mary nodded, deciding it was better not to fight with the four year old about something he didn't understand and went back to her music.

"This is very different than Daddy's music," Dean said looking around as Mary debated between two Led Zeppelin songs.

"Do you like it?" Mary asked.

"Yes," Dean admitted.

"Good boy," Mary chuckled.

"What is this song called?" Dean asked.

"It's called 'Rambling On,'" Mary answered.

"You like it?"

"I think this is probably my favorite song," Mary nodded.

"Then it will be my favorite song too," Dean decided as he turned back to his picture.

"Your dad is going to be so mad at me," Mary mumbled to herself as the song ended.

"You should make a special mark on the tape so that I know it's ours," Dean suggested when Mary finished making the tape with "Hey Jude" on it.

"Good idea," Mary smiled. She grabbed a Swiss Army knife out of the side tape next to the couch and carved a "D" into the top corner of the tape. "Alright buddy. I put a nice big D on it. So if you get to pick out a tape when we're driving, you pick the one with the D on it, and that's the special one I made for you."

"Thank you Momma," Dean smiled. "I will always remember."

 

Unexpectedly, the front door opened at four thirty.

"Daddy!" Dean said wide eye running to him. "I made you something!"

"Thank you," John said, picking Dean up and taking the picture.

"Why are you home?" Mary asked.

"I had to fire Angie," John said. "So I gotta do payroll and sort all sorts of crap."

"So you left work over an hour early?"

"No," John shook his head. "Well, yeah, technically. I wasn't going to be home for dinner, so I figured I'd come home and eat see the boys. Then head back and finish up."

"Who are you and what did you do to my husband?" Mary chuckled walking up and kissing him on the cheek. "Why'd you fire Angie?"

"She was really bad at her job," John shrugged. "I gotta talk to you about it later."

"Alright," Mary nodded.

"What do we got here?" John asked unfolding Dean's picture.

"It's our family," Dean explained as he pointed out each of the family member stick people. "That's me and you and momma and Sam."

"What's this?" John asked pointing to a black and white blob next to the family.

"That's Sammy's real family," Dean said seriously. "He's part cow."

"Why didn't you tell me?" John laughed looking to Mary.

"He looked human," Mary shrugged. "I didn't think anyone would figure it out."

"Sammy moos," Dean explained. "I heard him."

"Oh," John said shaking his head and placing Dean back down. "I'm gonna hang this on my toolbox when I get back there."

"That's what I want," Dean nodded running into the other room.

"What do you want to do for dinner?" Mary asked. "I've been making mixed tapes, I didn't think about dinner."

"Really, Mare, I hate that crap," John sighed.

"You're like a ninety year old man," Mary said seriously. "You can't drive around in '67 Chevy listening to grandpa music."

"Yes I can," John nodded. "It's not like I'm trying to pick up chicks."

"I think people of your generation call them 'dolls,'" Mary joked. "That's what my dad always called me and my friends."

"Shut up," John smirked.

"You wanna order pizza?" Mary asked. "I really don't feel like cooking."

"Sure," John nodded. "Get a large everything a small cheese for Dean. I'll bring the leftovers to work."

"Sounds like a plan," Mary agreed. "Deano, come here."

Dean came running back toward them.

"We're going to get pizza. Would you like cheese pizza?"

"I want chicken nuggets," Dean replied.

"Okay," Mary nodded. "We can get you a chicken finger plate from the pizza place. Do you want anything with the chicken nuggets?"

"Ketchup," Dean nodded.

"Chicken nuggets and ketchup," Mary smiled. "Do you want French fries?"

"Yes," Dean answered. "I would like that."

"Okay, go play," Mary instructed.

"So a large pizza, a chicken finger plate, a side of fries and a side of ketchup," John repeated.

"And cheese sticks," Mary added.

"I'll call it in," John said.

"I'll go get it," Mary smiled. "Put my cassettes in the shoe box so I know they make it to the car. I don't want to find them in the trash again."

"That was an accident," John said picking up the phone. "Just because I don't like your music doesn't mean I'd throw it away."

"I'm just going to make sure," Mary smirked. "Can never be too careful."

 

"So what's going on with Angie?" Mary asked over pizza. "I mean, she's always been horrible at her job. Why get rid of her now?"

"She would at least answer the phone, take appointments, and file things," John said. "But she started losing invoices and totally screwed us on two jobs. I can't have that going on."

"So, who you got replacing her?" Mary asked before taking a bite.

"Mike's niece can work a couple mornings a week when she's not in class," John replied. "I was hoping you'd want to come in the other two days for a few hours?"

"I'll just leave the boys here," Mary replied. "Dean can pretty much do everything except change Sammy's diaper."

"I'm not learning that," Dean piped up. "That's gross."

"After Dean starts school," John replied. "You can bring Sam in with you, no big deal."

"I don't want to go back to work," Mary replied.

"Joyce started working at the dress shop downtown now that Jamie's in school," John tried.

"Good for her," Mary nodded. "I'm a stay at home mom until such a time where it's completely necessary that I go back to work. And seeing as things are going really well at the shop, I don't need to. I'm sure you can find someone capable of answering a phone two days a week."

"Alright," John shrugged. "I was just throwing it out there. You've been sounding like you're going stir crazy. I thought you might like to go back."

"I really don't," Mary answered. "I mean thanks but no thanks."

"Okay," John smiled. "I might have a couple late nights then."

"So nothing really new," Mary replied.

"Don't be like that please," John sighed. "I'm not trying to pick a fight. I'm going to do my best to do what I did today. I'll come home for dinner and then go back. It's not ideal, but I can get both done."

"I like it when you're home for dinner," Dean said. "I like it when you're home for bedtime, too."

"I promise you, kiddo," John said seriously. "I will be home to tuck you in tonight. I only have about an hour of payroll and filing to do. We'll read some more Winnie the Pooh."

"I would like that," Dean said smiling very wide.

 

After John and Mary cleaned up from dinner and John left, Mary sat with Dean in the living room.

"Can we play checkers?" Dean asked.

"Of course," Mary replied. "Go get it from the game closet and I'll set it up."

"Okay!" Dean said smiling wide as he ran off toward the closet. "Can I teach Sam to play?"

"He's too little," Mary explained. "Not yet."

"When?" Dean asked.

"How old were you when you learned to play checkers?" Mary asked.

"Four," Dean answered.

"How old is Sammy?"

"Zero," Dean replied confidently.

"Today, Sammy is six months old," Mary smiled. "Do you know what that means?"

"Nope," Dean said shaking his head.

"In three and a half years you can teach Sam how to play checkers."

"Oh, okay," Dean shrugged. "Checkers is really hard. Daddy never lets me win. I would let Sam win. Maybe one time."

"That would be very nice of you," Mary chuckled.

"You don't have to let me win," Dean said pulling the board out of the box. "I want to win on my own."

"Alright," Mary smiled, helping Dean set up the checkers. "You just gotta keep trying really hard. I'm sure you'll beat Daddy real soon."

"I know I will," Dean said with a serious look on his face. "I'm gonna be a checkers master."

"That's an excellent goal, Deano," Mary laughed. "Ready to play?"

"Yes, Momma," Dean said with determination.

Mary felt bad dominating a four year old at checkers, but it was hard to lose on purpose without looking like you doing it on purpose. Not that Dean would have really noticed, but Mary felt like she had to at least challenge him a little bit.

"This game is really hard," Dean sighed.

"You almost won that last one," Mary said. "You'll get there. I promised."

"I'm happy you didn't let me win," Dean smiled. "I want to beat fair and square."

"Fair and square huh?" Mary chuckled. "We'll keep practicing and someday you'll get there. Sometime real soon."

"Okay," Dean smiled as he helped Mary clean up the board. "I can't wait."

"Do you think you can put this away while I put Sammy to bed?" Mary asked. "Then I'll give you a bath and we'll have bedtime?"

"Yes," Dean nodded happily. "I will meet you upstairs."

 

After his bath, while Mary got Dean into his plaid pajamas he asked: "Can I get to say goodnight to Sammy? Or is he already asleep?"

Mary picked him up and walked across the hallway. "Come on, let's say goodnight to your brother."

Mary flicked on the light and set Dean down by the crib. He climbed up on the step stool he'd set up so he could reach Sam, leaned down and kissed him goodnight.

"'Night Sam," he said softly. Sam giggled and looked up at him.

"Goodnight, love," Mary said kissing Sam on the forehead. Mary started to lean down to pick Dean up again when a voice came from the doorway.

"Hey Dean."

"Daddy!" Dean exclaimed running toward him.

"Hey buddy," John smiled, scooping him up and held him close. "So what do you think? You think Sammy's ready to toss a football around yet?"

"No Daddy," Dean laughed shaking his head.

"No," John smiled fixing Dean's shirt that had ridden up when he lifted him.

"You got him," Mary asked squeezing between John and doorway.

"Yeah," John nodded. "Sweet dreams, Sam." John turned off the light and walked Dean to his room. "You ready for some Winnie the Pooh?"

"Born ready," Dean smiled and John placed him on the bed.

"Born ready?" John chuckled. "I'm gonna half to talk to your mom about this lingo you're picking up."

"I don't know what that means," Dean said while John grabbed the book off the shelf.

"Exactly," John smiled.

 

"You ready to cash in?" Mary asked meeting John in the hallway after the story was read and Dean was most of the way asleep.

"I was gonna watch Carson," John shrugged. "But if you got better ideas?"

"Dean's not even asleep yet," Mary said shaking her head. "But Joyce said she'd take the boys this weekend so we can have our Halloween party."

"I like the sound of that," John smiled holding her close and kissing her.

"I'm gonna say goodnight, then read a little bit," Mary said pulling away. "Don't wake me up when you come to bed."

"I'll do my best," John nodded. "See you in the morning."

Mary kissed John on the cheek and slipped into Dean's room. She sat on the side of Dean's bed, like she'd done every night for as long as he'd had his own bed, and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Goodnight sweetheart," Mary whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too," Dean yawned.

"Sleep tight, the angels are washing over you."

"I will Momma," Dean said rolling over and snuggling his stuffed bear tight.

 

Dean was dreaming, a wonderful dream of a chocolate pudding swimming pool, when a faint beeping started to pull him away from it.

"Nooooooo," Dean whined as his eyes opened to his dark room, the beeping getting louder as he got more awake. "Sam!" Dean said aloud as he threw off his covers. He ran to his door, touching the doorknob to see if it was hot before throwing it open. His eyes widened as he looked to his brother's room and saw nothing but a wall of fire. Even though everything he knew told him to turn and run down the hallway and outside, he moved as fast as he could toward Sam's room. He was meet in the doorway by his father, holding little Sam in his arms.

He thrust Sam at him. "Take your brother outside as fast as you can and don't look back! Now, Dean, go!"

Dean turned and ran as fast as he could down the stairs. "It's okay, I got you." Dean whispered into Sam's blanket over and over as he got to the door. He had to place Sam down on the floor to open the door, and then he scooped him back up and ran to the mailbox.

"It's okay, Sammy," Dean said softly to his baby brother as he watched his home turn orange against the blackness of the night. "Everything's gonna be okay."

As the fire got worse, Dean started to shake a little, until, as the fire exploded, John came running out of the house and scooped up his boys.

"I gotcha," he said pulling the boys away from the flames.

He carried the boys to his car, parked on the side of road, and placed Dean and Sam down on the hood as Jim from across the street came running over.

"I called the fire department," he yelled. "Everything alright?"

"Momma," Dean called out. "She's asleep!"

"Oh, Deano," John breathed with a pained expression on his face.

"You're a fireman, Mr. King," Dean said. "You can go get her."

Jim looked at John who shook his head.

"When the fire trucks get here," John said to Dean. "They'll fix it."

"I don't want her to get hurt," Dean said seriously. "Fire is dangerous."

"You sit here with Sam," John said sternly as the fire trucks sirens started to blare in the background. "I'm gonna talk to Jim."

"Okay," Dean said smiling up at his dad and holding Sammy close. "Don't forget Momma."

John shook his head with sad eyes as he turned away and walked with Jim out of earshot.

"It's okay, Sam," Dean said rocking his brother like he'd seen him mom do. "Momma will be here real soon. The firemans will get her and then everything will be okay again."

Sam started to stir and kick in Dean's arms.

"No no," Dean said softly. "You gotta be still or I'll drop you. You don't want to drop you. You'll get hurted really bad."

Sam kept wiggling, so Dean held him as close as he could and started to sing a familiar song.

"Hey Sam, when you're afraid, I'll sing the sad song til you feel better…"

 

When the fire trucks pulled up, Jim went to relay the information John had given him about what happened while John walked back over to his boys. He said next to Dean and took Sammy from him, then pulled Dean close to his side.

"The firemans are gonna get Momma, right?" Dean asked.

"No buddy," John said shaking his head, choked up. "They can't."

"Why?" Dean asked.

"She's gone buddy," John replied.

"Gone where?" Dean asked.

"Just gone."

Dean shook his head and slid off the hood of the car.

"Come back here," John called after him as Dean scurried toward the firefighters. He saw one he recognized and stood in front of him.

"You're the fireman from the grocery store," Dean said looking up at him.

"Yes I am," Lieutenant Powers replied. "And you're Dean."

"Mmhmm," Dean nodded. "My mom is in there. She's sleeping. You got to go get her."

Lieutenant Powers kneeled in front of Dean and took off his helmet. "Dean, I can't get your mom."

"Yes you can," Dean said seriously. "You're a fireman. You save people."

"It's… oh buddy…" Lieutenant Powers did his best not to break down into tears looking at this little boy. "Why don't you go talk to your dad about it?"

"No!" Dean yelled stomping his foot. "You go get her!"

"Dean, come here," John called from the hood of the car as the firefighters ran around the front yard trying to tame the flames. Dean ran back over.

"The firemans won't get Momma," Dean pouted. "She's gonna get hurted."

"Mom told you about the angels right?" John asked helping his toddler up onto the car. Dean nodded. "You're mom had to go be with them."

"But the angels are in heaven," Dean said. "Momma lives on Earth with me."

"If I could change it I would," John said, a tear escaping his eye.

"Why are you crying?" Dean said wiping the tear away.

"Because your mom is gone, Dean," John said seriously. "She had to go away. She had to go to heaven."

"Why?" Dean asked. "I don't want her too."

"I don't either," John said shaking his head. "But the fire took her away, and she can't come back."

"But I didn't get to say goodbye," Dean pouted. "When is she gonna come back?"

"You gotta help me take care of Sammy, okay," John said pulling Dean as close to him as possible. "Can you do that?"

"I always take care of Sam," Dean nodded. "That's what big brothers do. I will help until Momma gets back."

"I don't think she's gonna come back, kiddo," John replied. "She's not gonna come back."

"Even if I wish really hard?" Dean asked. "Momma said if I wish hard enough anything will happen."

"I don't think so, Dean," John said, no longer able to hold in in. He kissed his son on the top of his head and breathed slowly. There was no way he could possibly explain death to his little boy. Not tonight. He'd have the conversation in a few days when he knew Dean would be able to understand more of it.

"Don't cry Daddy," Dean smiled placing his head on John's shoulder. "Momma told me heaven was beautiful."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading. I hope you have enjoyed this. I have loved writing these characters. I would also really love to hear what you think.


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